Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication

Catalog description

This course builds students' ability to communicate with the public and media during a public health crisis or emergency and conduct disaster preparedness PR campaigns to maximize trust and engagement, and to minimize harm. To do so, the course will cover common strategies for communicating about hazards, as well as the major challenges common during disaster situations. The course will run concurrently with VTPEH 6184 Public Health Communications, and builds on that course by focusing on the unique challenges posed in disaster situations and in disaster-preparedness campaigns. Over the semester, you and your classmates will put the skills into practice to create numerous public-communications media, including fact sheets, media advisories, public service announcements, and mock interviews. You will also evaluate existing public campaigns and documents.