Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocation
Inadequate, misinterpreted, or missing risk and crisis communication may be a reason for practitioners, and sometimes science advisors, to become the subjects of criminal investigations. This work discusses the legal consequences of inadequate risk communication in these situations. After presenting...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-06-01
|
| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/15/1449/2015/nhess-15-1449-2015.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819093312623083520 |
|---|---|
| author | A. Scolobig |
| author_facet | A. Scolobig |
| author_sort | A. Scolobig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Inadequate, misinterpreted, or missing risk and crisis communication may be
a reason for practitioners, and sometimes science advisors, to become the
subjects of criminal investigations. This work discusses the legal
consequences of inadequate risk communication in these situations. After
presenting some cases, the discussion focuses on three critical issues: the
development of effective communication protocols; the role, tasks, and
responsibilities of science advisors; and the collateral effects of
practitioners' defensive behaviours. For example, if the avoidance of
personal liability becomes a primary objective for practitioners, it may
clash with other objectives, such as the protection of vulnerable
communities or the transparency of decision making. The conclusion presents
some ideas for future research on the legal aspects of risk communication. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T23:09:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c51d4e971e0948bd8af833d5ddf4b6ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T23:09:31Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c51d4e971e0948bd8af833d5ddf4b6ab2022-12-21T18:47:05ZengCopernicus PublicationsNatural Hazards and Earth System Sciences1561-86331684-99812015-06-011561449145610.5194/nhess-15-1449-2015Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocationA. Scolobig0Climate Policy Group; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH-Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, SwitzerlandInadequate, misinterpreted, or missing risk and crisis communication may be a reason for practitioners, and sometimes science advisors, to become the subjects of criminal investigations. This work discusses the legal consequences of inadequate risk communication in these situations. After presenting some cases, the discussion focuses on three critical issues: the development of effective communication protocols; the role, tasks, and responsibilities of science advisors; and the collateral effects of practitioners' defensive behaviours. For example, if the avoidance of personal liability becomes a primary objective for practitioners, it may clash with other objectives, such as the protection of vulnerable communities or the transparency of decision making. The conclusion presents some ideas for future research on the legal aspects of risk communication.http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/15/1449/2015/nhess-15-1449-2015.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Scolobig Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocation Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocation |
| title_full | Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocation |
| title_fullStr | Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocation |
| title_short | Brief Communication: The dark side of risk and crisis communication: legal conflicts and responsibility allocation |
| title_sort | brief communication the dark side of risk and crisis communication legal conflicts and responsibility allocation |
| url | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/15/1449/2015/nhess-15-1449-2015.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ascolobig briefcommunicationthedarksideofriskandcrisiscommunicationlegalconflictsandresponsibilityallocation |