Public Relations Review 34 (2008) 387–391 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Public Relations Review Short communication Civic responsibility in a risk democracy Shari R. Veil * Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma, 395 West Lindsey, Norman, OK 73019, United States article info Article history: Received 2 July 2008 Accepted 28 August 2008 Keywords: Crisis communication Emergency management Risk democracy Civic responsibility Community resilience abstract The National Research Council advocates for what they term a risk democracy, in which risk issues require community decision-making based on dialogue. This essay focuses on the promotion of civic responsibility in a risk democracy. Award-winning public aware- ness campaigns are analyzed to demonstrate how community partnerships and civic responsibility can improve community resilience. First, the role of a community in an emergency is discussed; second, the current focus of the Department of Homeland Secu- rity on prevention rather than preparation as illuminated by interviews with emergency managers is critically examined; and finally, public awareness campaigns are presented to show how personal and civic responsibility can assist in emergency planning and response. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Civic responsibility in a risk democracy Almost 20 years ago the National Research Council (1989) advocated for what they termed a risk democracy, in which risk issues require community decision-making based on dialogue. The Council suggested “To remain democratic, a society must find ways to put specialized knowledge into the service of public choice and keep it from becoming the basis of power for an elite” (p. 15). The democracy of risk has been expounded on in the examination of industrial risks and the dialogue between technical experts and the community where the source of the risk is located (Gay & Heath, 1995). However, not all risks are manufactured. There is no way to prevent a tornado, an earthquake, or a hurricane. And even risks that are “preventable” must be prepared for. There is a need for further analysis of risk democracy regardless of whether the source of the risk may be contained. Civic responsibility is paramount to the success of a democracy. That responsibility is often shown through voting, paying taxes, serving jury duty, and volunteering. Personal, family, or even involvement in community preparedness for an emer- gency is not considered a hallmark of civic responsibility. While the Department of Homeland Security recommends all residents have household emergency kits, less than half of Americans have a kit in their homes (Freeman, 2006). Therefore, this essay focuses on the promotion of personal and civic responsibility in a risk democracy. This essay analyzes award-winning public awareness campaigns to demonstrate how community partnerships and civic responsibility can improve community resilience. First, the role of a community in an emergency is discussed; second, the current focus of the Department of Homeland Security on prevention rather than preparation as illuminated by interviews with emergency managers is critically examined; finally, the public awareness campaigns are presented to show how personal and civic responsibility can assist in emergency planning and response. * Tel.: +1 405 325 5371. E-mail address: shari.veil@ou.edu. 0363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2008.08.001