The public need to know : emergencies, government organizations, and public information policies
By: MAXWELL, Terrence A
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ArticlePublisher: Orlando : Elsevier, 2003Government Information Quarterly 20, 3, p. 233-258Abstract: Communications with the public in times of emergency is an important function of government agencies. Successful communications policies can assist the public to rapidly adjust behaviors and perceptions of risk, while unsuccessful policies can promote community outrage, and impede the progress of threat mitigation. Drawing on existing public health risk communications literature, a model of interactive emergency communications, integrating the roles of multiple government agencies, information intermediaries, and the public is presented, and tested using two case studies (the 1999 West Nile Virus outbreak in New York, and the release of anthrax in 2001). Results of the analysis provide insights into the process of emergency communications and the behavior and decision making of governments, intermediaries and the public. These insights, in turn, suggest policies government officials can take to improve emergency communication
Communications with the public in times of emergency is an important function of government agencies. Successful communications policies can assist the public to rapidly adjust behaviors and perceptions of risk, while unsuccessful policies can promote community outrage, and impede the progress of threat mitigation. Drawing on existing public health risk communications literature, a model of interactive emergency communications, integrating the roles of multiple government agencies, information intermediaries, and the public is presented, and tested using two case studies (the 1999 West Nile Virus outbreak in New York, and the release of anthrax in 2001). Results of the analysis provide insights into the process of emergency communications and the behavior and decision making of governments, intermediaries and the public. These insights, in turn, suggest policies government officials can take to improve emergency communication
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