Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication as an Integrative Model

Abstract

This article describes a model of communication known as crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC). The model is outlined as a merger of many traditional notions of health and risk communication with work in crisis and disaster communication. The specific kinds of communication activities that should be called for at various stages of disaster or crisis development are outlined. Although crises are by definition uncertain, equivocal, and often chaotic situations, the CERC model is presented as a tool health communicators can use to help manage these complex events.

An earlier version of this article was presented at the National Communication Association Convention, November 2002.

Notes

¹A variety of developmental stages of crisis have been described in communication research and disaster studies. In general, these developmental approaches are called models of crisis development although they also might be describe as frameworks. Although Reynolds's (2002) CERC model uses five stages, others have six-stage (Turner, 1976) and three-stage models of crisis development (Coombs, 1995; Ray, 1999; Seeger et al., 1998). Regardless of the specific stages or phases described, there is a general recognition that crises have developmental features.

²This issue frames part of an ongoing debate in crisis and risk communication (Seeger, 2002a). Risk communication typically would suggest that public messages be unequivocal regarding the risks and associated actions. Crisis communication typically would suggest acknowledging the general uncertainty in a crisis as part of the public statements made about the crisis. Sandman (2003) acknowledged the need to be equivocal in his critique of the CDC's communication efforts regarding SARS.