Reaction 4 – Chapter 9
Develop your Message
The authors emphasize some main points that need to be considered for message development or delivery. These can be referred to as the key steps:
- Identify the purpose of the message
- Choose the appropriate approach for care, consensus, or crisis communication
- Analyze audience knowledge, beliefs, concerns and problems they face, also get their input. Audience participation is important for message development and delivery.
- Consider the misperceptions, knowledge gaps and ideas that need reinforcing.
- Pretest the message content and delivery so that it is in line with your audiences.
- Plan the communication process so that you can evaluate the effectiveness of messages and modify them for future use.
Develop Your Message
During a high-risk or crisis situation everybody demands explanations and organizations try to only give the minimum that is necessary. Message construction plays an important part in reducing confusion and stress during this uncertain period. Organizations should aim to have clear and straightforward messages that answer the possible questions audiences may have.
Messaging during risk or crisis communication is very important, because “making all organizational participants aware of the key messages (even if they evolve during the crisis) can make recovery actions more effective, reduce confusion, and organizational credibility” (p. 143). The people who are creating messages need to understand how audiences feel, what they want to and need to know and specifically address these concerns.
Another very important point raised by the authors in this section is that communicating the key messages is especially important for media spokespeople and people who work in the hotlines. Messages should be consistent and these spokespeople need to be trained about what messages they need to communicate to those who have questions. Since these spokespeople and people who answer the hotlines function as the voice of the organization, they need to be careful about what they say and how they say it. The attitude of these people are really important since it may also influence the audiences.
Information people want
- Description of the risk – provide information using example analogies to help audiences understand risk
- Risk consequences – give information about effects and danger associated with the risk.
- Level of control about the risk and its consequences – answer questions about what individuals can do and what agencies are doing to solve the situation
- Exposure information – inform audiences about risk intensity, duration, acceptable risk levels and how long the danger exists (etc.).
A point raised by the authors suggests that risk communicators need to include what audiences perceive they need to know if they want people to attend to and process the information. People should see things they find important in messages if they are to continue reading or listening. This is why thinking like your audience or empathy is really important for the risk/crisis communicator if he/she wants to reach the audience.
Mental models
As the authors suggest, the mental models approach is not designed to persuade audiences that the risks are not really dangerous, but to provide audiences with information so that they can make their own judgments about the risks and take action.
Even though the models in the book look confusing initially, they might be useful for understanding everything that goes on in the minds of your audiences and thus allow you to find mistakes or disconnections between certain issues and address them.
Message mapping
Message maps are created by using anticipated questions and underlying concerns, and then using this information to create messages that address the questions and concerns of your audience. This reminds me of the 2-way asymmetrical communication process introduced by James Grunig. But it seems like a reasonable approach to crisis/risk communications since it allows you to be specific about the questions and concerns of your audiences.
The authors emphasize some main points that need to be considered for message development or delivery. These can be referred to as the key steps:
- Identify the purpose of the message
- Choose the appropriate approach for care, consensus, or crisis communication
- Analyze audience knowledge, beliefs, concerns and problems they face, also get their input. Audience participation is important for message development and delivery.
- Consider the misperceptions, knowledge gaps and ideas that need reinforcing.
- Pretest the message content and delivery so that it is in line with your audiences.
- Plan the communication process so that you can evaluate the effectiveness of messages and modify them for future use.
Develop Your Message
During a high-risk or crisis situation everybody demands explanations and organizations try to only give the minimum that is necessary. Message construction plays an important part in reducing confusion and stress during this uncertain period. Organizations should aim to have clear and straightforward messages that answer the possible questions audiences may have.
Messaging during risk or crisis communication is very important, because “making all organizational participants aware of the key messages (even if they evolve during the crisis) can make recovery actions more effective, reduce confusion, and organizational credibility” (p. 143). The people who are creating messages need to understand how audiences feel, what they want to and need to know and specifically address these concerns.
Another very important point raised by the authors in this section is that communicating the key messages is especially important for media spokespeople and people who work in the hotlines. Messages should be consistent and these spokespeople need to be trained about what messages they need to communicate to those who have questions. Since these spokespeople and people who answer the hotlines function as the voice of the organization, they need to be careful about what they say and how they say it. The attitude of these people are really important since it may also influence the audiences.
Information people want
- Description of the risk – provide information using example analogies to help audiences understand risk
- Risk consequences – give information about effects and danger associated with the risk.
- Level of control about the risk and its consequences – answer questions about what individuals can do and what agencies are doing to solve the situation
- Exposure information – inform audiences about risk intensity, duration, acceptable risk levels and how long the danger exists (etc.).
A point raised by the authors suggests that risk communicators need to include what audiences perceive they need to know if they want people to attend to and process the information. People should see things they find important in messages if they are to continue reading or listening. This is why thinking like your audience or empathy is really important for the risk/crisis communicator if he/she wants to reach the audience.
Mental models
As the authors suggest, the mental models approach is not designed to persuade audiences that the risks are not really dangerous, but to provide audiences with information so that they can make their own judgments about the risks and take action.
Even though the models in the book look confusing initially, they might be useful for understanding everything that goes on in the minds of your audiences and thus allow you to find mistakes or disconnections between certain issues and address them.
Message mapping
Message maps are created by using anticipated questions and underlying concerns, and then using this information to create messages that address the questions and concerns of your audience. This reminds me of the 2-way asymmetrical communication process introduced by James Grunig. But it seems like a reasonable approach to crisis/risk communications since it allows you to be specific about the questions and concerns of your audiences.
posted by emelo at
2/04/2007 01:43:00 PM
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