Exploring risk attenuation and crisis communication after a plague death in Grand Canyon

A plague death in Grand Canyon National Park in 2007, caused by pneumonic plague transmitted from a mountain lion to a U.S. National Park Service biologist, unexpectedly led to limited public concern and media attention despite the severity of the incident. This counterintuitive response was analyzed using the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) and the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication model (CERC). The study found that certain characteristics of the event—such as its isolated nature, low perceived vulnerability, and effective communication efforts by NPS and partner agencies—likely attenuated rather than amplified public risk perception. Findings were derived from a workshop with NPS employees and in-depth interviews, offering theoretical insights for future research on organizational crisis communication.

Rickard, L. N., McComas, K. A., Clarke, C. E., Stedman, R. C., & Decker, D. J. (2013). Exploring risk attenuation and crisis communication after a plague death in Grand Canyon. Journal of Risk Research, 16(2), 145–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2012.725673