Uncertainty in the Process of Risk Communication for Public Health: An Integrative Theory-Based Approach

This chapter combines different theoretical perspectives to explore uncertainty related to how journalists communicate about public health risks. Risk is a socially constructed phenomenon, and people’s perceptions of risk are not always logical, particularly when emotions and politics come into play. Subjective evaluations and the social construction of risks can result in either amplified or minimised perceptions of risks. In the process of communicating risk information to the public, the news media significantly influence public perception of risk and uncertainty. During the COVID-19 pandemic, news outlets created uncertainty by how they communicated various COVID-19-related risks to the public. These issues regarding the communication of risk to the public have several practical implications. This chapter provides an overview of what the current research tells us is best practice for journalists to responsibly report on potential risks and where further work remains to be done.