The main goal of “risk communication” is for experts to inform laypeople of the potential dangers of new technologies and ecological phenomenon. In order for experts to effectively communicate risk, they must understand the extent of the knowledge base of those whom they hope to guide. Research has found that canned messages, which make no concessions to a person’s knowledge, are likely to leave those who hear or read the message feeling befuddled or indifferent.

Which of the following scenarios best captures the principle regarding effective “risk communication” elucidated in the passage?

(A) The West Nile virus is a waterborne disease that infects very few in the United States, yet many Americans, after watching news reports about the disease, have an unwarranted fear that they will come down with the illness.
(B) Some consumer advocates claim that constant use of cell-phones can cause brain tumors, especially in young children, though research has yet to reveal any such connection.
(C) In an effort to combat the spike in skin cancer cases in the Southern part of the United States, the government has hired a team of health experts to design the labeling for a popular brand of skin creams.
(D) A group of patients who were using a new pharmaceutical drug to reduce the risk of anxiety attacks has sued the manufacturer, claiming that neither physicians nor the drug’s packaging sufficiently warned against potential side effects.
(E) Researchers hoping to inform the public about the risks of radon in the home devised a brochure based on the results from a questionnaire that had been used to gauge the public’s understanding on the subject.