Public Confidence and Risk Communication Television Coverage

Argonne Risk Communication assists DHS with study on public confidence in government response to terrorism

As part of a larger study for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Argonne National Laboratory was asked to assist with a project to determine appropriate levels of investment in securing critical infrastructure from potential terrorist attack. To answer the question of public confidence in government response to such an incident, Argonne is conducting focus groups to measure the value of public confidence in government and law-enforcement agencies to prevent terrorism.

About 50 people distributed among separate focus groups comprised of up to 8 individuals each are queried in the study. Each focus group is shown mock television broadcast coverage of four terrorist attack scenarios that portray different attack locations, attack frequencies, levels of consequences, risks associated with the incidents, and actions being taken by government to address the incidents.

Prior to viewing the mock broadcasts, a baseline questionnaire is administered so that pre- and post-event confidence levels can be compared. After each event is presented as a mock television broadcast, the subjects respond to a questionnaire that mirrors the baseline and is designed to measure their expected level of confidence over time following the event.

Questions are also asked concerning the subjects' feelings toward the event, the ability of government to cope with the event, and the dollar value they would place on increasing confidence levels. The mock television broadcast coverage of the four terrorist attack scenarios was produced and edited by the Argonne Risk Communication Program. An overview of the content of attack scenario broadcasts is summarized below.

Smallpox Attack International consequences Thousands infected Visual and high emotional content Evolving over several months Cyber Attack National consequences Zero casualties Limited emotional content Evolving over several weeks Suicide Bombings Regional consequences Hundreds of casualties Visual and emotional content Separate incidents over several days Refinery Bombing Local consequences Few casualties Visual with low emotional content Single event at one location