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Risk, Media, and Stigma at Rocky Flats

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  • James Flynn
  • Ellen Peters
  • C. K. Mertz
  • Paul Slovid

Abstract

Public responses to nuclear technologies are often strongly negative. Events, such as accidents or evidence of unsafe conditions at nuclear facilities, receive extensive and dramatic coverage by the news media. These news stories affect public perceptions of nuclear risks and the geographic areas near nuclear facilities. One result of these perceptions, avoidance behavior, is a form of “technological stigma” that leads to losses in property values near nuclear facilities. The social amplification of risk is a conceptual framework that attempts to explain how stigma is created through media transmission of information about hazardous places and public perceptions and decisions. This paper examines stigma associated with the U.S. Department of Energy's Rocky Flats facility, a major production plant in the nation's nuclear weapons complex, located near Denver, Colorado. This study, based upon newspaper analyses and a survey of Denver area residents, finds that the social amplification theory provides a reasonable framework for understanding the events and public responses that took place in regard to Rocky Flats during a 6‐year period, beginning with an FBI raid of the facility in 1989.

Suggested Citation

  • James Flynn & Ellen Peters & C. K. Mertz & Paul Slovid, 1998. "Risk, Media, and Stigma at Rocky Flats," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(6), pages 715-725, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:18:y:1998:i:6:p:715-725
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1998.tb01115.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Jill J. McCluskey & Gordon C. Rausser, 2001. "Estimation of Perceived Risk and Its Effect on Property Values," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 77(1), pages 42-55.
    2. Frederic Bouder & Dominic Way & Ragnar Löfstedt & Darrick Evensen, 2015. "Transparency in Europe: A Quantitative Study," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(7), pages 1210-1229, July.
    3. Novak, Jiri & Bilinski, Pawel, 2018. "Social stigma and executive compensation," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 169-184.
    4. Christopher D. Wirz & Michael A. Xenos & Dominique Brossard & Dietram Scheufele & Jennifer H. Chung & Luisa Massarani, 2018. "Rethinking Social Amplification of Risk: Social Media and Zika in Three Languages," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(12), pages 2599-2624, December.
    5. Li, Xuelian & Dong, Liang & Kot, Hung Wan & Liu, Ming, 2024. "Regulatory investigations, media coverage, and audit opinions," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    6. Patrick Gourley, 2019. "Social Stigma and Asset Value," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 85(3), pages 919-938, January.
    7. Kuhika Gupta & Joseph T. Ripberger & Hank C. Jenkins‐Smith & Carol L. Silva, 2020. "Exploring Aggregate vs. Relative Public Trust in Administrative Agencies that Manage Spent Nuclear Fuel in the United States," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 37(4), pages 491-510, July.

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