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Boil Water Advisories as Risk Communication: Consistency between CDC Guidelines and Local News Media Articles
Sydney O'Shay1, Ashleigh M Day2, Khairul Islam3
1Department of Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies, Utah State University.
Local news media often fail to fully communicate critical public health information during boil water advisories (BWA). Consistent reporting on CDC guidelines for BWAs is needed to ensure clear risk communication for public water systems.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Risk Communication
- Media Studies
Background:
- The Safe Drinking Water Act mandates public notification for water system issues.
- Boil water advisories (BWAs) are issued to mitigate public health risks.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidance for BWAs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the extent to which local US news media incorporate CDC guidelines in BWA reporting.
- To assess the clarity and completeness of risk communication in BWA news articles.
Main Methods:
- A content analysis was performed on 1040 local news media articles concerning BWAs.
- Articles were analyzed for the inclusion of specific CDC BWA reporting guidelines.
Main Results:
- While most articles (89%) identified the affected area, only 47% included essential boiling instructions and alternative water source information.
- Articles incorporating some CDC boiling instructions were more likely to include other crucial risk information.
Conclusions:
- Local news media reporting on BWAs often falls short of providing comprehensive public health risk communication.
- Improved adherence to CDC guidelines in media reporting is necessary to meet public needs for clear and actionable information during water advisories.
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