4. CPH Domain 2: Risk Communication, CERC, and the Media
After this lesson you can
- Apply Sandman's hazard plus outrage model and Covello's mental noise idea
- State the six CERC principles and the phases of a crisis
- Build a message map with three key messages
- Choose between a press release, a media advisory, digital and social channels
- Separate process indicators from outcome indicators
- Apply ethical principles and neutral facilitation techniques in messages and meetings
The second lesson on Domain 2. It covers risk communication and CDC's Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC), choosing among traditional, digital and social media, evaluating communication, communication ethics, and facilitation skills, built around a Harbor County boil-water order.
Questions and answers
Questions a learner would ask about this lesson. Think through your own answer before you open each one.
- Why do people react strongly to some small risks and shrug off larger ones?
Show answer
Sandman's model says Risk equals Hazard plus Outrage. Hazard is the technical risk, and outrage is how upset people are about it. Experts respond to hazard while the public responds to outrage, which rises when a risk is dreaded, unfamiliar, imposed, unfair or comes from an untrusted source.
- What are the six CERC principles?
Show answer
Be First, Be Right, Be Credible, Express Empathy, Promote Action and Show Respect. Be First does not mean speculate. It means sharing what is confirmed quickly, acknowledging uncertainty, saying what you are doing to learn more and committing to when the next update comes.
- What is a message map?
Show answer
A message map takes one anticipated question or concern and answers it with three key messages, each backed by three supporting points. Because stress reduces how much information people can process, the guideline is about 27 words, about nine seconds and no more than three messages. Maps are built in the preparation phase so every spokesperson speaks with one voice.
- How do I tell process indicators from outcome indicators?
Show answer
Process indicators measure what the communication effort did and how far it went, such as reach, impressions, materials distributed and posts published. Outcome indicators measure change in the audience: awareness, knowledge, intention and behavior. Process comes from your logs and outcome from your audience, and high process with flat outcome means the message failed.
- What is the facilitator's role in a group meeting?
Show answer
The facilitator owns the process, not the content. They set the agenda, keep time, sequence and summarize, and do not advocate a position. If they hold a stake in the outcome, they should name it or hand off the chair. Tools such as ground rules, round robin, nominal group technique and multi-voting help balance quiet and dominant voices.
Practice quiz
- Question 1Residents are far more upset about a rare chemical leak than about a common seasonal illness. In Sandman's model, the leak most likely has:
- Question 2Which of the following is one of the six CDC CERC principles?
- Question 3Early in an emergency, the facts are still incomplete. What does "Be First" call for?
- Question 4In which CERC phase does an agency explain ongoing risks, segment audiences and address rumors?
- Question 5The message map guideline for answering one concern under stress is about:
- Question 6A health department wants reporters to attend a vaccine clinic opening next Tuesday. Which document should it send?
- Question 7Which of these is a process indicator for a boil-water communication effort?
- Question 8A health department uses news coverage to build support for a proposed county health policy. This is best described as:
- Question 9A facilitator realizes they have a personal stake in which option a community group chooses. What should they do?
- Question 10A campaign shows frightening images of a disease to motivate screening but gives no action step. Which ethical problem does the lesson identify?
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CPH Exam Pathway is an independent course produced by Subthesis for educational purposes. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), and completing it does not confer certification. Confirm fees, eligibility, and exam rules against the current NBPHE candidate handbook.