This article examines the rhetoric employed by the Atomic Energy Commission and its successor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to communicate the risks of nuclear power to legislators and the public. Close reading of official and unofficial documents demonstrates the importance of developing an effective risk-communication strategy in anticipation of danger rather than in response.

In light of recent high-profile communication failures in times of crisis (the Fukujima nuclear disaster, the finger-pointing following the BP oil spill, and the FEMA response to Hurricane Katrina ...

Abstract Notes 1The 2007 Survey of Doctoral Programs in Rhetoric and Composition was approved by the New Mexico State University Institutional Review Board on April 18, 2007, Human Subject Application #219 (Exempt Pre). 2Consistent with earlier surveys, we use the term rhetoric and composition as a commonplace to signify the variety of programs profiled, including those that emphasize technical and professional communication or those that offer an English degree with emphasis in rhetoric and composition. 3The 1994 survey included two Canadian programs (Simon Fraser University and University of Waterloo). Neither appear in the 2000 nor the 2007 surveys.