Can and Should PR Change the Mass-Mediated Climate Debate? Theoretical Remarks on Risk Perception, Uncertainty and Crisis Communication

Climate change provides one of the major communicative challenges for 21st century political leadership. This paper analyses how government communication can contribute to or hinder a communicative approach to the issue and the risks and uncertainties involved. The authors then go on to extend their analysis of and recommendations for government communication from this one issue to general decision making and system integration as function of public communication. The final part of the paper analyses how modern PR theory could be helpful in the positive development of government communication in the future