Public Resource
Global Change Seminar Summary: Communicating Risk in a Changing Climate
Brittany Salmons. USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center

For weather information to effectively reach the public, that information must be received, understood, trusted, and prompt a response from the audience. There is no singular method that can be used to reach all audiences – practitioners should vary their strategies to reach multiple demographics. Bilingual and Spanish-speaking broadcasters are playing a critical role in communicating climate and weather information with underrepresented groups. When you have risk information to share with your audience, consider following the “27-9-3” model: limit your message to contain no more than 27 words, which can be delivered in 9 seconds, and has just 3 main ideas. Audiences’ perceptions of risk are context-dependent and will vary substantially – there is no such thing as a “general audience” when it comes to risk communication. This resource includes a video recorded panel of 3 experts on these topics.