The Structuralization of Risk Communication Work and Objectives in the Aftermath of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Abstract Researchers have not comprehensively considered the contents and objectives of risk communication. In this study, interviews were conducted with 10 risk communicators who worked on risk communication of the various health risks arising after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. We focus on extracting, codifying, and summarizing the contexts, content, and objectives of their work. The objectives of risk communication were identified as “alleviating anxiety and stress,” “supporting decision-making,” “gaining trust,” “promoting understanding,” “deepening mutual understanding,” and “sharing values and empathy”; moreover, there are new additions of higher objectives: “returning to normal life” and “cultivating a wider perspective.” It was suggested that professional expertise, cooperation, and collaboration support and facilitate the attainment of these risk communication objectives. We anticipate that the findings of this study can assist in establishing effective risk communication practices based on the careful consideration of risk communication objectives, social debate on their legitimacy, and the evaluation of their effects.