Panel Discussion: Fact, Fiction, Fixation: Communicating risk amidst misinformation
The speed and reach of misinformation in a crisis does not just make the job of the risk communicator more difficult, it may put lives at risk. Authorities face the uphill task of building and maintaining public trust to ensure that key messages are understood and acted on, while limiting the spread of false information which can undermine compliance with safety measures. This panel looks at the impact of misinformation on how people perceive and manage risks from health and food safety to climate change and natural hazards and assesses the options for risk communicators seeking to counter misinformation and its harmful effects. The panel draws on diverse perspectives from traditional and social media, psychology, sociology and communications research.
- Dr. Olivia Jensen, Lead Scientist, Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk, National University of Singapore (moderator)
- Sarah Cumbers, Director of Evidence and Insight, Lloyd’s Register Foundation
- David Fogarty, Climate Change Editor, Straits Times
- Prof. Gita Johar, Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business, Columbia Business School
- Qiyun Woo, Sustainability communicator and climate activist
- Dr. Catherine Wong, Research Fellow, Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk, National University of Singapore