Drawing From the Readings

As I was reviewing the readings assigned, I found a few different topics that have helped and will continue to help build my project into a stronger risk communication effort. First of all, I would like to point out how the article “A Diagnostic for Risk Communication Failures” helped me. Specifically the beginning section that talks about the separation of two languages, expert and public, improved my project because I have to speak a certain way to my fellow risk communicators that is different then how I need to communicate to my audience. Although I don’t use scientific terms in my project, I need to keep a calm and easily understandable language in mind while providing crucial information to my audience. As for presenting information in a crisis situation, I will also have to keep in mind what language I use and how understandable I present the information.

Another reading that improved my communication process included Chapter 10 from the textbook “Risk Communication.” The different methods mentioned on how to present the risk is a very important issue to confront. In my instance, I will need to use a combination of a couple of the methods. Face-to-face communication will compliment my efforts because it is a good way to incorporate questions that audience members may have. Visual presentation for effective awareness communication will keep the audience interested while learning risk management skills while they are abroad in Israel. As for using the media, I think it might be a bad idea to advertise danger in travel in an advertisement or in a newspaper. Since my audience is a select group of students traveling abroad, I don’t think it is necessary to use the media a great deal.

Finally, in Chapter 9 in the “Risk Communication” book the section on the information your audience wants really helped facilitate my message. Throughout this process my message has been broad and sometimes impossible to pinpoint but this list of information has led me to realize how to simplify my efforts. The four points of description, consequences, level of control, and exposure of information help narrow the facts and help communicate the risk more proficiently and successfully. My audience is going to need to know decisive information and they need to be able to use in an efficient manner. By making sure to touch on these topics, I will be confident in my communication efforts.

From these readings I have been helped in everything that has to do with putting together my Security in Israel message. I am informed on how to mentally prepare my message by mapping my information, how to present it to my audience, as well as determining between expert and public language. I have been able to improve my project through these tips and information provided by the readings done for class.

Change in Topic

As I began researching more and more on my issue of Education in Israel, I realized that there is not enough information available to me to continue with this concern. Although I did not want to start a completely new topic, I wanted to research something that was more along the lines of security in the Middle Eastern region, specifically Israel.

There are numerous organizations, such as Taglit Birthright, which takes college aged students abroad to Israel. These organizations often allow students to extend their tickets and stay in Israel for longer periods of time without programming scheduled. The students that choose to stay after the trips finish need to be informed and well aware of the risks involved with being in a foreign country, specifically Israel, and traveling without consistent security measures being taken.

Many students don't realize the extent of the security that is present on the trip that they take to tour the country. Usually there is an armed guard with the tour group at all times, as well as the constant communication between the leaders of the trip and the Israeli government officials. As students extending their stay in Israel, they do not have this luxury of knowledge. These students need to be informed on what risks there are involved in traveling in Israel as well as the appropriate steps to take in a crisis situation. This topic is relevent because there are hundreds of different organized trips to Israel and there are numerous students who decide to stay or even visit again without an organization. Security is a very serious issue that organizations make a number one priority. As a student, security may not be a priority while traveling in a foreign country with friends or family.