• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.89-98
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• 2016

Purpose - This article tackles risk communication issues and aims to address the characteristics of MERS risk information distribution in South Korea, and secondly to examine the communicative behavior of the public health authority in terms of the quality of communication strategies. Thirdly, the study attempts to figure out the risk communication to cope with MERS through the applications of SMCRE model in chronological order. We employ the social amplification of risk framework for analyzing the emergent public response as one of the main approaches. Research Design, Data and Methodology - The main framework of this study is theoretically based on the social amplification of risk, which describes signals about risk transmitted and processed by individuals and social groups. The model also reflects the interactions between social groups and institutes about disaster-related risk issues, which are potential amplifiers or attenuators of communication signals. S-M-C-R-E Model is methodologically employed to examine the social amplification for MERS risk information in each period, which we defined operationally. The proposed methodology allows the assessment of effectiveness and ineffectiveness on risk communication to be conceptualized as a countermeasure against disasters. The paper focuses on exploring how social risk amplification can be applied and organized in each stage. Results - The SMCRE model describes the exchange of risk information and is also applied to all forms of communication between stakeholders including public health authority, local government and media. Each factor of risk communication includes source, message, channel, receiver and effect. The results support that the effective risk communication involves not only the improved reliability of public health authority as a key factor of risk communication, but also a close cooperation and good collaboration with local governments. It does not seem to be possible that the government-initiated risk communication based on controllability and management cope effectively with infectious disease in early stage. The results of this study imply that the shared risks between local, regional and national authorities can enhance risk communication system. Conclusions - The study supports that the disparities in how disaster-related risk information is interpreted and coded, have made effective risk communication and public sense-making impeded. Our findings support a more communicative discussion about the role of risk information sharing between governments for the improvement of emergency management and underline the importance of social elements in the risk communication, such as relationship and trust building. Findings suggest that trust building between stakeholders could be added to help explain the processes of social amplification and attenuation of risk. It would be recommended that the continuous risk communication with all the involved stakeholders will be able to help national health promotion policy to be improved regarding emergency management. Furthermore, risk communication has to be a scientific approach for the communication pertaining to potentially sensitive or controversial situations with public concerns and low public trust.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.283-289
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• 2015

This paper provides a study on the application and proposals of safety culture, new public management and social amplification of risk framework via ship accidents in Korea. This document analyzes what are the concept of safety culture, new public management as well as social amplification and risk framework and describes how 3 issues act, harmonize, interrelate through M/V Sewol accident. Korean government is needed to apply social amplification of risk framework to the in order to promote the safety culture in the maritime administration. Hence, this paper proposes safety framework in order to prevent and resolve future unexpected accident especially for maritime field.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.55-66
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• 2016

Purpose - This article aims to explore the characteristics of disaster risk distribution information in China. Also, this research attempts to analyze the findings of risk communication using case study in chronological order in terms of social amplification of risk. To achieve the purpose, the paper reviews the trends and issues of risk communication in China, with an emphasis on examining earthquakes by a chronological approach. In these regards, we hope that some relevant findings from this empirical study with cases will be able to enhance national risk communication and provide implications in Korea as well. Research design, data, and methodology - The conceptual framework of this study is theoretically based on the risk amplification model, which describes signals about risk transmitted and processed by individuals and social groups. The social amplification of risk also reflects the interactions of social groups about disaster-related risk issues, which are potential amplifiers or attenuators of communication signals. The key concept of social amplification implies that the risks pertaining to natural disasters interact with social, psychological, institutional, and cultural processes in ways that can affect public perceptions of risk. SMCRE Model is methodologically employed to examine risk communication history of China with the focus on natural disaster. Four earthquakes are selected to figure out the chronological characteristics of risk communication since 1970s. He bei Tang Shan earthquake is selected as an example disaster before 1990's, while the earthquake in Yun Nan Jiang is explored for the case study of 1990's. The earthquake in Si Chuan Wen Chuan is also examined as a example disaster of 2000's. The recent earthquake in Si Chuan Ya An Lu Shan is selected as a case of 2010s. Results - SMCRE model in this case study is operationally defined as a methodology and applied to the four earthquakes occurred in China. SMCRE model describes the exchange of risk information and is also applied to all forms of communication between stake holders. Each factor of risk communication includes source, message, channel, receiver and effect. It is notable that a big progress has been made on disaster risk communication in China for the past 40 years. We also found that highly developed information technology has enabled Chinese society to better cope with natural disaster, leading to enhanced disaster risk communication. It is mainly found from case study that the disaster risk communication of China has been involved with political situation, which derived from the change of government for the past 40 years. Conclusion - From this historical research, it can be inferred that the policies and politics of Chinese leaders have had a more critical role to play in the process of source of risk communication than those of any other countries. The results of this paper also support that the effective risk communication involves not only the improved reliability of local government as a key factor of disaster risk communication, but also is accompanied by international cooperation for substantial collaboration with stake holders.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.432-452
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• 2020

This study explored the representation of risks from the controversial Lynas rare earth refining as a risk event by five Malaysian online mainstream and alternative newspapers using qualitative content analysis. The aim is to uncover the role of the news media in the social amplification and attenuation of risks within the literature evidence as those roles are still uncertain. Content analysis is used to explore the online newspapers' roles guided by the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF). The representations typified environmental, financial, health, occupational, property, radioactive, and technological risks and established connections between four risk types (environmental, financial, radioactive, and health risks). Radioactive risk was repeatedly associated with other risks, suggesting that the volume and information flow focused on radioactive risk as a key ingredient for amplification. This connection shows that the nature of the relationship between risks is multidimensional, contradicting the unidirectional type found in previous studies. Alternative online newspapers amplified and attenuated more risks, thus, providing more diverse coverage than mainstream sources. Consequently, this study provides evidence that risk representation from rare earth refining in a digital news environment is multidimensional and intensified or weakened in a multi-layered pattern. The stakeholders are engaged in a contestation by positioning their narratives to oppose or support their interests, which are amplified or attenuated by the online newspapers as social amplification stations.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.217-231
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• 2014

This study begins with a review of commonly discussed dimensions of public risk perception that may influence public opinion toward risks. Factors that have been revealed by the literature to have substantial impact on risk perception, such as demographic background, trust, and media environment, are also discussed. Meanwhile, we evaluate two well-known research models in the realm of risk analysis: 1) the psychometric paradigm, and 2) the social amplification of risk framework (SARF). Based on a literature review, this study suggests that, besides the psychological and social approach, models of risk perception and risk communication research should shift to a more comprehensive one by considering the interrelations between laypeople and the environment. This study proposes a research model from the perspective of social cognitive theory (SCT) as a potential framework for future studies: 1) in the societal environment, individuals' risk perception and information seeking behavior, which is determined by risk perception will be influenced by trust in regulators and interpersonal trust; 2) in the media environment, individuals' risk perception and information seeking behavior will be influenced by individuals' perceived information characteristics. Knowledge about risk accumulated through information seeking will change risk perception in a longitudinal process.

• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.189-216
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• 2019

The frequent occurrence of overwhelming disasters necessitates risk communication systems capable of operating effectively in disaster contexts. Few studies have examined risk communication networks during disasters through social networking services (SNS). This study therefore investigates the patterns of risk communication by comparing Korean and international networks based on the social amplification of risk communication in the context of the Sewol ferry disaster (SFD). In addition, differences in language use and patterns between Korean and international contexts are identified through a semantic analysis using KrKwick, NodeXL, and UCINET. The SFD refers to the sinking of the ferry while carrying 476 people, mostly secondary school students. The results for interpersonal risk communication reveal that the structure of the Korean risk communication network differed from that of the international network. The Korean network was more fragmented, and its clustering was more sparsely knitted based on the impact and physical proximity of the disaster. Semantic networks imply that the physical distance from the disaster affected the content of risk communication, as well as the network pattern.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.2966-2986
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• 2023

Climate change is a constant threat to human life, and it is important to understand the public perception of this issue. Previous studies examining climate change have been based on limited survey data. In this study, the authors used big data such as news articles and social media data, within which the authors selected specific keywords related to climate change. Using these natural language data, topic modeling was performed for discourse analysis regarding climate change based on various topics. In addition, before applying topic modeling, sentiment analysis was adjusted to discover the differences between discourses on climate change. Through this approach, discourses of positive and negative tendencies were classified. As a result, it was possible to identify the tendency of each document by extracting key words for the classified discourse. This study aims to prove that topic modeling is a useful methodology for exploring discourse on platforms with big data. Moreover, the reliability of the study was increased by performing topic modeling in consideration of objective indicators (i.e., coherence score, perplexity). Theoretically, based on the social amplification of risk framework (SARF), this study demonstrates that the diffusion of the agenda of climate change in public news media leads to personal anxiety and fear on social media.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7169-7174
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• 2014

Background: NPAS2 is a product of the circadian clock gene. It acts as a putative tumor suppressor by playing an important role in DNA damage responses, cell cycle control and apoptosis. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) appears to be an apoptosis related disorder and alteration in the NPAS2 gene might therefore be directly involved in the etiology of CLL. Here, the Ala394Thr polymorphism (rs2305160:G>A) in the NPAS2 gene was genotyped and melatonin concentrations were measured in a total of seventy-four individuals, including thirty-seven CLL cases and an equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls in order to examine the effect of NPAS2 polymorphism and melatonin concentrations on CLL risk in a Pakistani population. Materials and Methods: Genotyping of rs2305160:G>A polymorphism at NPAS2 locus was carried out by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). Melatonin concentrations were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. Results: Our results demonstrated no association of the variant Thr genotypes (Ala/Thr and Thr/Thr) with risk of CLL. Similarly, no association of rs2305160 with CLL was observed in either females or males after stratification of study population on a gender basis. Moreover, when the subjects with CLL were further stratified into shift-workers and non-shift-workers, no association of rs2305160 with CLL was seen in either case. However, significantly low serum melatonin levels were observed in CLL patients as compared to healthy subjects (p<0.05). Also, lower melatonin levels were seen in shift-workers as compared to non-shift-workers (p<0.05). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the melatonin levels across NPAS2 genotypes in all subjects, subjects with CLL who were either shift workers or non-shift-workers. General Linear Model (GLM) univariate analysis revealed no significant association (p>0.05) of the rs2305160 polymorphism of the NPAS2 gene with melatonin levels in any of the groups. Conclusions: While low melatonin levels and shift-work can be considered as one of the risk factors for CLL, the NPAS2 rs2305160 polymorphism does not appear to have any association with risk of CLL in our Pakistani population.