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A very warm welcome to the Risk Communication Course.
This course was created to develop your ability to communicate with the media and community during public health crises.
In this course you will learn:
- to address the emotional side of a crisis
- to build public trust as a crisis unfolds
- to develop your ability to work with the news media during a public health emergency
- communications steps to follow before, during and after a crisis.
We hope you’ll enjoy your learning together.
 What do you need to get started? file
At the end of each module you will find a list of required and recommended reading. These may be texts or websites to familiarize yourself with.
If you take the time to read all these sources, you will gain a rich understanding of the art and practice of risk communication.
The readings contain case studies, easy-to-read guides, checklists, and many other tools that will help you respond to infectious disease outbreaks, environmental contamination, and acts of terrorism.
Through reading these documents you will meet experts and practitioners from all over the world and expose yourself to all the current tools available in the field.
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In Module 2 we look at the emotions that are caused by a health crisis and how these emotions will guide efficient risk communications.
It’s important to understand the range of emotions the public will feel in a crisis. When you understand - and respect - what people are feeling, you will become better able to communicate with them in urgent situations. - What do people feel in a crisis? file
- Communicating in times of crises and uncertainty: Best practice file
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Are you ready to try out what you've learned?
 Make the right choices in these real-life examples of public health emergencies Lesson-
Additional reading
Required Reading
- Familiarize yourself with the website of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Biosecurity: www.upmc-biosecurity.org
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The media form a vital link between you and the public. It is very important that you understand the media’s way of thinking, what their role is, and how you communicate with them. Explore the following overview:
- The goals of effective media communication file
Take a look at this interactive mind-map: - Understanding the media: Establishing a partnership file
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Now that you have a general idea of what the media are all about and how you relate to them, let's take a more in-depth look at media channels and ways to communicate your news to the public.
- Comparing media channels file
- Common ways to reach your audience file
Talking to the media requires specific talents and skills. The following guidelines will help you to communicate your news in the appropriate way. - Looking for a spokesperson file
- Talking to media: Tips and techniques Lesson
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One of the most important things to remember when you are talking to the media is to stay on message. If the interview or media questions stray, here are some useful techniques to bring you back to the message you wish to convey.
- The all-important rule: stay on message file
- Practice: Botulism scare at the Golden Palm Beach Resort Lesson
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You can use these resource documents as a guideline when creating a news release:
Additional reading
Required
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Don't wait until a crisis breaks before you come up with a plan to deal with it.
The preparations you make before any crisis will be a priceless investment in successful communication when a critical situation arises.
In this module we will learn about the typical elements of a risk communication plan.
- The bombing… file
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In the event of a crisis you will be able to rely immediately on your written risk communication plan for four important issues. Read about
- The goals of a risk communication plan file
- What are the protocols and procedures in case of a crisis? file
- Logistics file
- Develop a partner and stakeholder strategy file
- Event-specific messages and delivery plans file
These two planning documents will help you build and follow your plan. It is absolutely essential that your entire organization be involved in creating the risk communications plan. The entire decision-making team (leadership, science, clinicians, administrative, communication, partners) will have a role to play in communicating during a public health crisis.
These materials were created by experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of the CDCynergy training for risk communicators.  First 48 hours checklist (pdf 24KB) PDF document- Master assignment checklist (pdf 94KB) PDF document
 Additional reading
Required
Planning Checklists:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/checklists.html
Recommended
Pandemic flu messaging packet:
http://www.springfieldmo.gov/health/PanFluMsgPacket.html
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You have completed all the modules in this Risk Communication course. Well done!
As a final test you will work your way through a scenario about a pandemic flu outbreak. You will be tested on your judgment of the situation, the developement of first and key messages and how you handle relations with the media.
- Background information on pandemic flu file
- Pandemic flu alert in Puli Lesson
Additional reading
Recommended
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You have completed the course and the final test. Well done!
We hope this has been a truly useful and rewarding learning experience for you. Don’t forget to follow up the additional reading links to get even more interesting insights.
 Risk Communication Course Final Exam Quiz Risk Communication Final Exam Certificate
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Welcome to the course
Module 1: Introduction to risk communication
Module 2: The emotional side of a crisis
Module 3: Developing messages
Module 4: Effective media communication during public health emergencies
Module 5: Planning 
Module 6: Pandemic flu case
Congratulations