Abstract
Apocalypticism is a powerful brew of eschatological belief and political imagination that is extremely persuasive. This article addresses the intersections between apocalyptic rhetoric and the technical communication of risk, disease outbreak, and disaster preparedness by analyzing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's zombie apocalypse preparedness campaign. Specifically, I argue that the framing of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's campaign relies on and extends problematic iterations of apocalypticism and undermines the educational objectives of disaster preparedness and response. I conclude with suggestions for how technical communicators designing public awareness and outreach campaigns can use existential risk rhetoric for engagement without succumbing to the pernicious side effects of apocalypticism.
Recommended Citation
Cheek, Ryan. "Zombie Ent(r)ailments In Risk Communication: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The CDC’s Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness Campaign." Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, vol. 50, no. 4, SAGE Publications, 2020, pp.401-422.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1177/0047281619892630
Department(s)
English and Technical Communication
Keywords and Phrases
apocalyptic rhetoric; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; disaster preparedness; disease rhetoric; risk communication; technical communication; zombie apocalypse
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1541-3780; 0047-2816
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2023 SAGE Publications, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Oct 2020
