A Project on Crisis Communication Management for Nuclear Experts Has Been Launched

At the end of last year, the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS) launched a collaborative project of the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) and State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) entitled COMMUNICATION. The project is implemented by the SSTC NRS under the Ukrainian-Norwegian cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety regulation in Ukraine with financial support from the DSA. It is aimed at strengthening and developing communication skills of SNRIU and SSTC NRS experts and media specialists in the process of crisis communication and prevention of risks that may arise during performance of professional functions related to nuclear and radiation threats.

The project envisages the development of three lecture courses and specialized training to raise awareness, communication skills and general professional competence of SNRIU representatives in communication with the media. It is also planned to hold a webinar for Ukrainian media journalists on the peculiarities of preparing messages in the event of a nuclear or radiation threat, raising the level of basic knowledge on nuclear and radiation safety, radiological risks during war and hostilities.

“Crisis communication has always been a part of the media space, but it started manifesting itself on a large scale a few years before the full-scale war, namely in the spring of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic gripped the world. The next acute stage in the introduction of crisis communication into Ukraine’s information space has become a full-scale war. Certainly, both government agencies and the media were not fully prepared for the challenges it brought. The entire nuclear community as a whole and, primarily Ukraine, faced a real challenge: how to communicate about the occupation of nuclear facilities, how and what messages to formulate for the public living in the areas near NPPs or in the occupied territory and for all citizens in general? How to provide information to the media so that they serve as a tool for disseminating facts and official reliable information? After all, the occupation of a nuclear power plant by the military forces of a hostile country is a completely non-trivial event, and communication about it cannot be standardized either. Therefore, building the state capacity for strategic communication on nuclear and radiation safety is an important step to strengthen the position of the nuclear regulator in the national information space”, says the Project Manager, SSTC NRS Press Secretary Tetiana Verbytska.

According to her, properly structured communication can prevent a crisis and protect the public from certain actions that could harm their health or endanger their lives. Due to the lack of response from official sources or delayed professional information presented in a certain form, a crisis can grow very quickly and turn into panic. Alternatively, the information space can be filled with messages from the enemy. It is important to remember that the audience needs fast and up-to-date information about the crisis and its consequences, which can affect many people.

The project, which will last for nine months, should result in expanded cooperation between SNRIU/SSTC NRS experts and media representatives to raise public awareness of nuclear and radiation safety issues and improve the level of basic knowledge of journalists on nuclear and radiation safety, radiological risks during war and hostilities.

“Supporting critical thinking of professionals and citizens, strengthening media literacy, developing a mechanism for verifying information to ensure a truthful and objective perception of events in the nuclear sector, and preventing the spread of malicious manipulations is the objective of the COMMUNICATION project. In general, the project will contribute to the development of a strategic communications system in Ukraine. We count on this”, emphasized Tetiana Verbytska.