Effective Media Communication during Public Health Emergencies
Until the outbreak of an exotic communicable disease or other dramatic event, the elaborate
infrastructures and mechanisms that protect public health on a daily basis often go unnoticed
and attract little media1 interest. In the midst of a public health emergency2 the situation
becomes very different as the demand for information rapidly escalates. Only recently has the
true extent to which media communication3 directly influences the course of events been
recognized. Good communication can rally support, calm a nervous public, provide muchneeded
information, encourage cooperative behaviours and help save lives. Poor
communication can fan emotions, disrupt economies and undermine confidence.
Recent outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza, releases of
anthrax and sarin, and natural disasters such as the South-East Asian tsunami, underline the
importance of communication during public health emergencies. Communication challenges
are particularly pronounced when fear of a naturally occurring or deliberately released
pathogen spreads faster and further than the resulting disease itself. In such situations, policymakers,
the news media and the public all expect timely and accurate information. It is vital
that people feel that officials are communicating openly and honestly. The most important
asset in any large-scale public health emergency is the public because ultimately they must
take care of themselves. Through effective media communication, public health officials can
engage the public and help them to make informed and better decisions.
Such effective media communication requires trust and understanding between public health
officials and the media. The media depend on public health officials for timely and accurate
information. Public health officials depend on the media to get their messages out before,
during and after an emergency. They also use the media as a surveillance system. For these
reasons, each side depends upon the other to be successful. The media should therefore be
viewed both as a crucial means of conveying information and as a component of outbreak
surveillance.
infrastructures and mechanisms that protect public health on a daily basis often go unnoticed
and attract little media1 interest. In the midst of a public health emergency2 the situation
becomes very different as the demand for information rapidly escalates. Only recently has the
true extent to which media communication3 directly influences the course of events been
recognized. Good communication can rally support, calm a nervous public, provide muchneeded
information, encourage cooperative behaviours and help save lives. Poor
communication can fan emotions, disrupt economies and undermine confidence.
Recent outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza, releases of
anthrax and sarin, and natural disasters such as the South-East Asian tsunami, underline the
importance of communication during public health emergencies. Communication challenges
are particularly pronounced when fear of a naturally occurring or deliberately released
pathogen spreads faster and further than the resulting disease itself. In such situations, policymakers,
the news media and the public all expect timely and accurate information. It is vital
that people feel that officials are communicating openly and honestly. The most important
asset in any large-scale public health emergency is the public because ultimately they must
take care of themselves. Through effective media communication, public health officials can
engage the public and help them to make informed and better decisions.
Such effective media communication requires trust and understanding between public health
officials and the media. The media depend on public health officials for timely and accurate
information. Public health officials depend on the media to get their messages out before,
during and after an emergency. They also use the media as a surveillance system. For these
reasons, each side depends upon the other to be successful. The media should therefore be
viewed both as a crucial means of conveying information and as a component of outbreak
surveillance.
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