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Communicating with the public during health crises: experts' experiences and opinions

Author

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  • Bev J. Holmes
  • Natalie Henrich
  • Sara Hancock
  • Valia Lestou

Abstract

Governments and health agencies worldwide are planning for a potential influenza pandemic. Their plans acknowledge the importance of public communication during an outbreak and include related guidelines and strategies. Emerging infectious disease (EID) communication is a new addition to the literature, drawing on health promotion communication, crisis communication and environmental/technological risk communication. This paper adds to the literature, exploring the notion of 'effective communication during health crises' by reporting on interviews with 22 public health officials, scientists and communications professionals responsible for communicating with the public. When analyzed in the context of the risk communication literature, the interviews reveal several considerations for health risk communicators. First, given the important role that mass media will play in an EID outbreak, there is an urgent need for public health to build partnerships with journalists based on an understanding of the two parties' unique societal roles. Second, seemingly practical communications considerations -- such as how certain to be about information before sharing it and whether to engage in two-way communication with the public -- have ethical dimensions that deserve attention. Third, there are unique challenges associated with communicating uncertainty, which would benefit from an exploration of the role of trust in health crisis communication.

Suggested Citation

  • Bev J. Holmes & Natalie Henrich & Sara Hancock & Valia Lestou, 2009. "Communicating with the public during health crises: experts' experiences and opinions," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(6), pages 793-807, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:12:y:2009:i:6:p:793-807
    DOI: 10.1080/13669870802648486
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    Cited by:

    1. Áine Regan & Monique Raats & Liran Christine Shan & Patrick G. Wall & Áine McConnon, 2016. "Risk communication and social media during food safety crises: a study of stakeholders' opinions in Ireland," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 119-133, January.
    2. Toddi Steelman & Sarah McCaffrey & Anne-Lise Velez & Jason Briefel, 2015. "What information do people use, trust, and find useful during a disaster? Evidence from five large wildfires," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 76(1), pages 615-634, March.
    3. Shasha Li & Xinyu Peng & Ruiqiu Pang & Li Li & Zixuan Song & Hongying Ye, 2021. "Information Preference and Information Supply Efficiency Evaluation before, during, and after an Earthquake: Evidence from Songyuan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-28, December.
    4. Denise Voci, 2022. "Logos, Ethos, Pathos, Sustainabilitos? About the Role of Media Companies in Reaching Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, February.
    5. H.E. Stubbé & M.L. van Emmerik & J.H. Kerstholt, 2017. "Helping behavior in a virtual crisis situation: effects of safety awareness and crisis communication," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(4), pages 433-444, April.
    6. Jiahui Lu & Meishan Zhang & Yan Zheng & Qiyu Li, 2021. "Communication of Uncertainty about Preliminary Evidence and the Spread of Its Inferred Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Weibo Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    7. Kate Holland & R. Warwick Blood & Michelle Imison & Simon Chapman & Andrea Fogarty, 2012. "Risk, expert uncertainty, and Australian news media: public and private faces of expert opinion during the 2009 swine flu pandemic," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(6), pages 657-671, June.

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