Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy

* Emergency risk communication can help people cope, make risk/benefit decisions, and begin to return their lives to normal. * Attempt to provide the public with information to make the best possible decisions within nearly impossible time constraints and to accept the imperfect nature of choice.

* Take information in differently * Process information differently * Act on information differently

1. Be First 2. Be Right 3. Be Credible 4. Express Empathy 5. Promote Action 6. Show Respect

* Increased population density in high- risk areas * Increased technological risks * Aging U.S. population * Emerging infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance * Increased international travel * Increased terrorism

Precrisis Prepare Foster alliances Develop consensus recommendations Test message Evaluate plans Initial Express empathy Provide simple risk explanations Establish credibility Recommend actions Commit to stakeholders Maintenance Further explain risk by population groups Provide more background Gain support for response Empower risk/benefit decisionmaking Capture feedback for analysis Resolution Educate a primed public for future crises Examine problems Gain support for policy and resources Promote your organization’s role Evaluation Capture lessons learned Develop an event SWOT Improve plan Return to precrisis planning

* Mixed messages from multiple experts * Information released late * Paternalistic attitudes * No reality check on recommendations * Not countering rumors and myths in real-time * Public power struggles and confusion

Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy

* People simplify * Cling to current beliefs * We remember what we see or previously experience (first messages carry more weight) * Look for additional information and opinions * Limit intake of new information (3-7 bits)

* Accept and involve the public as a legitimate partner. * Listen to the audience. * Be honest, frank, and open. * Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources. * Meet the needs of the media.

Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy

* Speed counts * Facts * Trust and credibility * Trust is an important component of our ability of getting people to do what we want them to do in an emergency

Source: CNN.com April 17, oston-marathon-second- victim/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

* Intention toward the receiver * Empathy * Caring * Commitment * Dedication * Expertise * Trustworthiness

Accuracy of Information __________ Speed of Release Empathy + Openness CREDIBILITY Successful Communication = + TRUST

Must * Be short * Be relevant * Give positive action steps (stick to 3 or 4) * Be repeated

Must Not * Use jargon * Be judgmental * Make promises that can’t be kept * Include humor * Speculate

Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy

* They give your organization its human form. * Effective spokespersons connect with their audience. * Effective spokespersons are made; few are born. * The spokesperson doesn’t just read a statement; he or she is the statement.

* Establish appropriate level of concern and empathy. * Remain calm. * Don’t over-reassure. * Show competence and consistency. * Demonstrate openness and transparency. * Be involved in message development to ensure some ownership.

* Acknowledge uncertainty. * Emphasize that a process is in place to learn more. * Give anticipatory guidance. * Be regretful, not defensive. * Acknowledge people’s fears.

* Acknowledge the shared misery. * Express wishes. * Be willing to address the “what if” questions. * Give people things to do. * Ask more of people.

* Use of jargon * Overly complex messages * Humor * Repeating the negative * Expressing personal opinions * Showing off your vocabulary * Using one-liners, clichés, and off-the-cuff remarks

Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy

* We need the media to be there. * Play a critical role in informing the public during any crisis or disaster. * Give important protective actions for the public. * Know how to reach their audiences and what their audiences need. * TV and radio are particularly important in crises that develop quickly.

* Print and TV audiences are smaller and older * Many younger people rely on Web-based news sources * Audiences are increasingly fragmented * Media can now provide immediate and continuous updates on a crisis through contributions from people experiencing the crisis * Increased demand on organizations to keep pace with information delivery

* Telling the public something is happening and that they need to pay attention * Directing the public to sources of additional information * Television and radio are particularly important in crises that develop quickly

Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy Connecticut Department of Public Health Keeping Connecticut Healthy

* Interactive online media that make it easy for users to participate and contribute content * Allows users to: * Interact * Engage in dialogue * Create and share experiences * Two-way communication

* Provides immediate information * Can create rapid connections and build relationships with the public * Helps build and maintain dynamic relationships with the media

* Helps dispel rumors by immediately providing accurate information * Incorporates website links where media outlets and the public can obtain more detailed information * Works in support of a broader communication strategy

* Some people mistrust social media or don’t know how to use them. * Personnel and technology are required * Continual monitoring and following up are needed * Limited to terms of how much info can be included * Some audiences do not use social media * Some people post to start controversy

Pew Research Center, February 14, 2013,

* Immediacy of social media is an important feature during a crisis * Most immediate forms, like microblogging (Twitter) and social media (Facebook) will be prevalent in early stages * Stakeholders become key sources of information

* 310 storm-related tweets from October 25 – November 7 * 68 storm-related posts on Facebook from October 25 – November 8 * 1,732 clicks through bit.ly from October 26 – November 8

* Join the conversation, help manage rumors by responding to misinformation, and determine the best channels to reach segmented audiences * Check all information for accuracy and respond honestly to questions * Recognize that the media are already using social media * Remember social media is interpersonal communication

Diana Lejardi, MPH, CHES Connecticut Department of Public Health Office of Communications (860)