The issue of trust and its influence on risk communication during a volcanic crisis |
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Authors: | Katharine Haynes Jenni Barclay Nick Pidgeon |
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Institution: | (1) School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, UK;(2) Risk Frontiers, Natural Hazards Research Centre, Room 817 Building E7A, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia;(3) Present address: Centre for Risk and Community Safety, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia;(4) Present address: School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Wales, UK |
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Abstract: | This paper investigates trust in the scientists, government authorities and wider risk management team during the ongoing
volcanic crisis in Montserrat, WI. Identifying the most trusted communicator and how trust in information can be enhanced
are considered important for improving the efficacy of volcanic risk communication. Qualitative interviews, participant observations
and a quantitative survey were utilised to investigate the views and attitudes of the public, authorities and scientists.
Trust was found to be dynamic, influenced by political factors made more complex by the colonial nature of Montserrat’s governance
and the changing level of volcanic activity. The scientists were viewed by the authorities as a highly trusted expert source
of volcanic information. Mistrust among some of the local authorities towards the scientists and British Governor was founded
in the uncertainty of the volcanic situation and influenced by differences in levels of acceptable risk and suspicions about
integrity (e.g. as a consequence of employment by the British Government). The public viewed friends and relatives as the
most trusted source for volcanic information. High trust in this source allowed competing messages to reinforce beliefs of
lower risk than were officially being described. The scientists were the second most trusted group by the public and considered
significantly more competent, reliable, caring, fair and open than the authorities. The world press was the least trusted,
preceded closely by the British Governor’s Office and Montserratian Government officials. These results tally well with other
empirical findings suggesting that government ministers and departments are typically distrusted as sources of risk-related
information. These findings have implications for risk communication on Montserrat and other volcanic crises. The importance
and potential effectiveness of scientists as communicators, because of, and despite, the existence of political, cultural
and institutional barriers, is exemplified by this study.
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Keywords: | Communication role Volcanic risk communication Montserrat Competing messages Unofficial communications Dimensions of trust |
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