Routledge Handbook of Risk, Crisis, and Disaster Communication

This Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of core concepts, research, and practice in risk, crisis, and disaster communication.

With contributions from leading academic experts and practitioners from diverse disciplinary backgrounds including communication, disaster, and health, this Handbook offers a valuable synthesis of current knowledge and future directions for the field. It is divided into four parts. Part One begins with an introduction to foundational theories and pedagogies for risk and crisis communication. Part Two elucidates knowledge and gaps in communicating about climate and weather, focusing on community and corporate positions and considering text and visual communication with examples from the US and Australia. Part Three provides insights on communicating ongoing and novel risks, crises, and disasters from US and European perspectives, which cover how to define new risks and translate theories and methodologies so that their study can support important ongoing research and practice. Part Four delves into communicating with diverse publics and audiences with authors examining community, first responder, and employee perspectives within developed and developing countries to enhance our understanding and inspire ongoing research that is contextual, nuanced, and impactful. Offering innovative insights into ongoing and new topics, this handbook explores how the field of risk, crisis, and disaster communications can benefit from theory, technology, and practice.

It will be of interest to students, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of disaster, emergency management, communication, geography, public policy, sociology, and other related interdisciplinary fields.

Brooke Fisher Liu is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland. Her research investigates how government messages, media, and interpersonal communication can contribute to individual and community resilience from disasters. Dr. Liu’s research has been supported by a variety of US government agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, National Science Foundation, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She is the co-founder and former editor of the Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research. Dr. Liu co-founded and co-directs the University of Maryland Pandemic Readiness Initiative.

Amisha Mehta is a Professor in the School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations, Faculty of Business and Law at QUT, Brisbane, Australia. She specializes in risk and crisis communication and trust, applying this expertise in emerging industries and corporate, health, and natural hazard emergencies. Amisha actively works with industry and her research has been translated into national policy. She has received a number of individual, team, and national awards for teaching and research.