How communication affects safety

Kathimerini.com.cy

A workshop on communication and its impact on safety issues such as road collisions and industrial accidents was organized by the CERIDES Research Centre of the European University Cyprus in cooperation with the Cyprus Police.

The way information is disseminated can influence how society understands and responds to these issues. It can also distort reality, create or reinforce stereotypes and lead to simplistic or biased conclusions about who is responsible.

These conclusions are often inaccurate or partial. They do not reflect the whole truth. And they are always premature.

There are international best practices for communicating information based on years of scientific research. These practices and expert recommendations ensure that all aspects of the situation are taken into account, especially those that reveal the state's failures in addressing each issue. Failures in planning, infrastructure and more. These are issues that are often ignored or overlooked in public discussions due to inadequate methods of analyzing the causes and consequences of an accident or a conflict. As a result, they cannot be improved or corrected.

The workshop was attended by officers from various services and departments of the Police from all over Cyprus. CERIDES researchers Iason Seneckis and Dr. Clio Varyanou - Mikellidou shared with them the latest findings and developments in communication practices related to safety issues at academic and operational levels internationally. They noted that some of these practices had already been adopted by the Cyprus Police.

The workshop also included a long and fruitful discussion and exchange of views. The researchers answered questions and clarified doubts about how to apply scientific knowledge to the process of transmitting the information.

CERIDES' efforts as a research center specialized in safety and risk management will continue. The Centre will organize another workshop under the auspices of the Delegation of the European Commission and the European Parliament in Nicosia. This workshop will be aimed at media professionals who want to enhance their skills in reporting safety issues.