Risk Communication in Europe After Chernobyl: a Media Analysis of Seven Countries

WE ANALYSED MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE CHERNOBYL EMERGENCY IN SEVEN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO IDENTIFY COMMON COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS. WE FOUND THE MEDIA WERE REASONABLY GOOD AT REPORTING INFORMA- TION PROVIDED BY OFFICIAL SOURCES, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE DIFFI- CULTIES WITH TECHNICAL TOPICS SUCH AS RADIATION EXPOSURE AND EFFECTS. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION, AND IT AFFECTED COMMUNICA- TIONS CREDIBILITY, BUT THE MEDIA SEEMED TO BE REFLECTING CONFU- SION IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES AND IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY RATHER THAN CREATING IT. TYPICAL PROBLEMS ARE DISCUSSED AND SUGGES- TIONS MADE FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT

OTWAY Harry;  PARUCCINI Massimo;  CANNELL William;  GIANITSOPOULOS Georgios; 

1995-03-15

JRC5480

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC5480,