Is a Consistent Message Achievable?: Defining “Message Consistency” for Weather Enterprise Researchers and Practitioners

ABSTRACT Although both research and practice contend that message consistency is a critical component of effective risk communication, neither provide systematic evidence demonstrating if, when, where matters. For this reason, meteorologists view as relevant operational concern. To address these concerns, members the weather enterprise organized conference sessions, panels, webinars, workshops to achieve consistency, but were unable make progress without definition. Fortunately, scholars in fields psychology communication studies offer important theoretical insights for defining consistency. As such, paper takes an first step by combining needs with from social science definition enterprise. While it logical present recommendation on how review revealed various limitations practical constraints call into question feasibility achieving it. further bridge practice, recommends researchers practitioners collaboratively develop evaluation process A persistent community effort will shed light where, under which circumstances necessary, more importantly, move us one closer toward consistent within