❝There are three basic types of risk communication, which are defined by their purpose. Crisis communication is used to motivate the audience to take immediate action in urgent or dangerous situations. Consensus communication is used when the purpose of the communication is to bring a group of people to a consensus. Care communication is used to raise awareness of a particular hazard or to gain support from the general public.

The methods for communicating risk include public meetings, mass media (such as radio or television), printed materials, social media, and the Internet. These methods of communication are common across all three types of risk communication. The purpose or objective, not the method, of the communication determines the type of risk communication campaign to use.

In this lesson, we will explore these three types of risk communication campaigns, along with methods and tools for communicating risk. We will also discuss the best practices to ensure the greatest chance of success. We will look at several examples of how governmental and other organizations have implemented each type of risk communication campaign. However, throughout this lesson, it is important to note that the majority of risk communication campaigns have multiple objectives. Therefore, most communication campaigns will have elements of all three types of risk communication.❞