Communicating about heatwaves: Risk perception, message fatigue, and threat normalisation

This report describes findings from three studies: a survey with the South Australian public (n=416), lay public focus groups and interviews (n=63), and a critical national TV-news analysis (n=22). The studies investigated the following:

· The public perception of heatwave risk and personal vulnerability.

· How heatwave messaging, notwithstanding their source, were accepted and responded to.

· If, and in what way, the phenomenon of ‘message fatigue’ (becoming tired of repeated messages) was impacting heatwave communication.

· How TV-news reported on heatwaves, and the implications for risk communication