Search Results

People need to be able to understand health risks in order to make basic life decisions. Whether the issue is climate change, vaccines, toxins, etc., we need to be informed to take appropriate action. Studies show that most people learn about science and health from the media. We know that the general public score low in science literacy. The cloud of “fake news” and propaganda obstructs understanding and informed decision making. For those of us who are charged with communicating about these topics to the general public, knowing how to sift through these various agendas and present clear information can be a challenge. In this course, we will start with health and risk communication theories, use case studies to look at the process of scientific obfuscation, and discuss approaches to effective communication.