It is a journalist’s job to bring the truth to the people. While statistics give facts through numbers, the story behind the statistics gives the most accurate portrayal of the truth. We see politicians, companies, and individuals use numbers to promote their agenda on a daily basis, but the importance of statistics can be distorted without comparing to others.

 

I have been passionate about protecting the environment since a young age, and have now taken on two writing internships with Appalachian Voices, an environmental advocacy group. We focus on protecting the people and unique biodiversity of Appalachia. When someone or something threatens Appalachia, we do our best to assess the risk and inform the people.

I am currently reading Reporting on Risk: A Journalist’s Handbook on Environmental Risk Assessment to better understand how environmental risk is calculated.   The book suggests this will allow me to “approach risk stories with more confidence and knowledge.”

 

So, what is risk assessment anyway?

 

“In this handbook, Risk Assessment refers the process of estimating the type and magnitude of risk to human health posed by exposure to chemical substances.”

 

The risk should be displayed in a range of probabilities that report what assumptions were made, and what type of harm will be done at what magnitude. To be truthful, risk must be displayed in a range of probabilities because of the inherent uncertainty involved in the process.

 

Anyone stating the probability of risk in one number most likely has an agenda. Scientists may be stating what is mostly likely, but officials or individuals may give the higher or lower range to induce or reduce fear of a risk.

 

To find the range of probabilities, there are four steps involved.

 

1. Problem Identification
2. Exposure Assessment
3. Toxicity Assessment
4. Risk Characterization

 

Problem identification is discovering whether a substance may cause harm. This information is gathered through animal studies, test tube studies, comparison studies to other harmful substances and epidemiological studies.

 

Exposure assessments look at how humans will be exposed to the substance in question.   This includes how much they are exposed to, how often they are exposed to it, and how long the exposure lasts.

 

Toxicity Assessments estimate the harm the substance will do to humans in different amounts. For ethical reasons, this cannot be directly tested on humans, and therefor must often be extrapolated from studies on animals.

 

Risk Characterization uses the information gained from the exposure and toxicity assessment to determine what is like to happen to people when exposed to a realistic amount of the dangerous substance.

 

 

Understanding how risk assessments are made is crucial to understanding what story they tell.

 

“Reporters can get a clearer view of a risk assessment by asking about the choices the scientist made––models, data, assumptions, and methodology”

 

Featured image “Trip to Wonderland” by Trung Bui Viet under CC BY-SA 2.0.