National Center for Food Protection and Defence Project: Advancing the Robust Cast Study II

The Robust Case Study project provides the real time feedback necessary for enterprises such as government agencies and organizations in the food industry to take into account public sentiment regarding their risk and crisis communication. By doing so, these organizations are better able to meet their responsibility as providers of critical information during high-risk situations. In the 2012—2013 academic year, we will maintain our current media tracking procedure, but also extend our analysis in two ways: a) we will observe the Mindful Learning of the Organization based on the model developed by the Risk Communication Theme as well the capacity of the organization to express that learning, and b) we will assess the consistency or convergence of the media coverage and the organization’s messages in media coverage. Again, the Message Convergence Model was developed through collaborative research by members of the NCFPD risk communication theme. Ultimately, will continue tracking information chronicling it in a format that is: a) meaningful to risk communicators in the midst of a high-risk foodborne event; b) appropriate for theoretical analysis and publication in refereed academic journals; and c) translatable into training modules, utilizing the NCFPD learning module template being developed Abbey Nutsch as part of her 2012/13 Education Program activities, that can be used in proactive training of risk communicators.