Professor Deanna Sellnow from Clemson University argues that crisis and risk communication research must evolve beyond simply describing and deconstructing problems to actively empowering people protect themselves and their communities. In an era of increasing globalisation, she proposes that researchers adopt learner- and learning-centered approaches to ensure communication does not simply inform people about dangers, but also teaches them how to respond effectively (e.g., to reduce risks, mitigate harms, improve safety, save lives) and why.

In early modern Europe, ancient Greek was far more than a scholarly pursuit. Intellectuals from many regions discovered that demonstrating resemblance of their native languages to Greek could elevate their cultural status, support claims of superiority over rival languages, and even advance religious and political causes. Sometimes called ‘Hellenising’, this phenomenon saw scholars from Italy to France, Germany, and the Netherlands, deliberately revealing —and often inventing— Greek features in their mother tongues.
Understanding how this worked requires examining specific cases where scholars used Greek to reshape their languages and advance their own agendas.

In 2016, a team of three researchers based at Stanford University —Beatriz Magaloni, Vanessa Melo, and Gustavo Robles— conducted a groundbreaking experiment in Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela (informal settlement), to test whether body-worn cameras (BWC) could reduce police violence and improve community relations.
The findings reveal that body cameras hold great promise, but they also come with serious challenges. Before the experiment started, one police unit commander ominously told the researchers: “If you give body cameras to my officers, this will stop them from doing their job.”