The Changing Face of Risk Communication - A Qualitative Analysis of the State-Issued Brochure Series Om Krisen Eller Kriget Kommer

Abstract

This thesis examines how Sweden´s Government Agencies have communicated risk and (crisis) preparedness to the public over the past decades through their informational brochure series Om krisen eller kriget kommer (In case of crisis or war). The study aims to understand how risk communication has changed, particularly in the following categories: providence of general information, front cover, structures of the brochures, layout, visualisation, colour-coding, content, linguistics and tone, contact possibilities and their multimodal interplay. Thereby key factors for effective risk communication and Paul Slovic’s (1986) framework of how the public can be informed and educated about risks and which challenges come along, are considered, to discuss whether the brochure series has a coherent and sustained communication strategy and which challenges and limitations the series hold. The methodology is based on a critical multimodal analysis of the brochure series Om krisen eller kriget kommer (seven editions) published between 1943 and 2024. The analysis reveals shifts in several categories which lead to the findings that the two maxims knowing the audience and knowing the situation you are communication in shape primarily (not exclusively) the coherent and sustained communication strategy. All other factors are depended on these maxims, leading to certain changes - in content, target audience, linguistics among others - within the series over time. Several limitations and challenges - based on Slovic´s (1986) framework - in the form of ethical considerations of framing and influencing the public, varying risk understanding and risk evaluation among the public come along with the brochure series which should be considered for future editions of the brochure series.