Municipal risk communication challenges in the Nordic context: Organizing risk ownership

IF 1.9 Q3 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy Pub Date : 2024-01-21 DOI:10.1002/rhc3.12289

Hogne L. Sataøen, Ruth Østgaard Skotnes, Kåre Hansen, Mats Eriksson

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

At a time when disasters, pandemics, pollution, and other crises gain prominence, local governments bear a crucial responsibility for effective risk communication. Yet, there remains a gap in our understanding of how municipalities approach risk communication before a crisis occurs. This qualitative study, involving seven focus groups and 29 semistructured interviews across two Nordic countries, raises questions about ownership of municipal risk communication: What challenges do municipalities face in managing ownership in risk communication? How does the organization of communication influence municipal risk communication? The results underscore three key considerations: First, there is a critical need for municipalities to engage in definitional clarification of risk and crisis communication. Establishing a shared understanding is paramount for effective communication strategies. Second, reframing uncertainty in municipal risk communication ownership as an opportunity is suggested. Embracing the inherent uncertainties and dependencies can offer a valuable perspective. Lastly, recognizing the underappreciation of risk communication emphasizes the imperative for municipal decision makers to address resource allocation issues. This involves ensuring that communication professionals have the confidence and resources needed, vis-à-vis other functions involved in risk management.

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北欧背景下的市政风险交流挑战：组织风险自主权

当灾难、大流行病、污染和其他危机日益突出时，地方政府在有效的风险交流方面承担着至关重要的责任。然而，我们对市政当局如何在危机发生前进行风险交流的了解仍然存在差距。这项定性研究涉及两个北欧国家的 7 个焦点小组和 29 个半结构式访谈，提出了有关市政风险沟通所有权的问题：市政当局在管理风险交流自主权方面面临哪些挑战？传播组织如何影响市政风险传播？研究结果强调了三个主要考虑因素：首先，市政当局亟需澄清风险和危机沟通的定义。建立共识对于有效的传播战略至关重要。其次，建议将市政风险沟通所有权中的不确定性重新定义为机遇。接受固有的不确定性和依赖性可以提供一个宝贵的视角。最后，认识到对风险交流的认识不足，强调市政决策者必须解决资源分配问题。这就需要确保相对于参与风险管理的其他职能部门而言，传播专业人员拥有信心和所需的资源。

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来源期刊

Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION-

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

8.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： Scholarship on risk, hazards, and crises (emergencies, disasters, or public policy/organizational crises) has developed into mature and distinct fields of inquiry. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy (RHCPP) addresses the governance implications of the important questions raised for the respective fields. The relationships between risk, hazards, and crisis raise fundamental questions with broad social science and policy implications. During unstable situations of acute or chronic danger and substantial uncertainty (i.e. a crisis), important and deeply rooted societal institutions, norms, and values come into play. The purpose of RHCPP is to provide a forum for research and commentary that examines societies’ understanding of and measures to address risk,hazards, and crises, how public policies do and should address these concerns, and to what effect. The journal is explicitly designed to encourage a broad range of perspectives by integrating work from a variety of disciplines. The journal will look at social science theory and policy design across the spectrum of risks and crises — including natural and technological hazards, public health crises, terrorism, and societal and environmental disasters. Papers will analyze the ways societies deal with both unpredictable and predictable events as public policy questions, which include topics such as crisis governance, loss and liability, emergency response, agenda setting, and the social and cultural contexts in which hazards, risks and crises are perceived and defined. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy invites dialogue and is open to new approaches. We seek scholarly work that combines academic quality with practical relevance. We especially welcome authors writing on the governance of risk and crises to submit their manuscripts.