Seven cardinal rules for the practice of risk communication

(as first expressed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several of the field's founders)

• Accept and involve the public as a legitimate partner
• Plan carefully and evaluate your efforts
• Listen to the public's specific concerns
• Be honest, frank, and open
• Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources
• Meet the needs of the media
• Speak clearly and with compassion

From the Wikipedia entry on Risk Management where the source is cited as: Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication. Pamphlet drafted by Vincent T. Covello and Frederick H. Allen. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, April 1988, OPA-87-020.


These are good rules for communication, period.
These would be the actions of a trust agent.