JOUR 6800 - Journalism, Crisis and Risk Communication

Credit Hours: 3

Description: This course examines how journalists communicate risk and crisis in situations marked by uncertainty, urgency, and public consequence. Students will explore how media shape public understanding of threats such as natural disasters, public health emergencies, political unrest, environmental hazards, and institutional failures. Emphasis is placed on risk perception, audience trust, ethical decision-making, and equity-centered reporting. Through theory, case studies, and applied simulations, students learn to responsibly inform the public before, during, and after crises.