Risk Communications: theory to practice including crisis communications & the Media

1. Risk Communications: theory to practiceincluding crisis communications & the Media 24 July 2009 Adelle Springer, Risk Communication Officer, WHO SEARO Chadin Tephaval, Communications Officer, WHO Thailand

2. Contents • Overview of risk communications • Role of risk communications in public health emergencies • Crisis communications and the Media • Theory to practice: planning, audiences, messaging, M&E

3. Social Mobilization Broad Scope Of Risk Communications Behaviour Change Comms Policy + Advocacy – health Comms: - - Comms Coordination - Transparency Strategic Comms Plan with RiskAssessment Multi-faceted, integrated public health emergency Campaign Emergency Comms Plan Evaluation, Feedback Media Management + Integration of Findings into BCC Signposting to support services Health Promotion Health Promotion Stakeholder engagement Audience research + profiling, base-lining Listening Monitoring & Control message development + testing Normalization/ Chronic Problem Surveillance concern/ Pre-event Prevention/ migration Event decline Event RESPOND PREPARE RECOVER (Public Health Continuum)

4. Risk Communication applied to Infectious Disease Outbreak First Case Late Detection Delayed Response CASES Control Opportunity DAY

5. Risk Communication applied to Infectious Disease Outbreak Early Detection Rapid Response Control Opportunity Proactive communication of real or potential risk CASES DAY

6. Communication Challenges of Public Health Emergencies Emergencies have unique characteristics, including: high human impact Economic consequences extreme time pressure increased work load Shift from national to international interest Non-health media involvement involvement of multiple organizations/departments Direct involvement of senior political actors

7. Role of Risk Communication in Public Health Emergencies • Risk communication for emergencies must be: • skilled • coordinated • flexible and responsive • Risk communications are essential to builds the trust needed to prepare for, respond to and recover from serious public health threats

8. Crisis communications & the media

9. กุญแจสู่การสื่อสาร • Trust (ความไว้ใจ) • Early Announcement (ประกาศแต่เนิ่น) • Transparency (ความโปร่งใส) • The Public (รู้จักชาวบ้าน) • Planning (การวางแผน)

11. News THINK Government must come clean over H1N1 By: Apiradee Treerutkuarkul Published: 13 May 2009 at 12:00 AM Newspaper section: News The government has been heavily criticised over its decision to control the release of information regarding the two confirmed A (H1N1) influenza cases involving Thai nationals. Its decision to restrict the core details of the cases such as the age and sex of the people infected with the virus, and when they returned to the country, infringes on the public's right to know.

12. Chan denied WHO compromised science TORONTO, 4 June 2009 — The head of the World Health Organization has defended the agency's handling of the swine flu outbreak, insisting its credibility as a science-driven organization has not been compromised. "There is no question of WHO compromising science," Chan told The Canadian Press. "I did not compromise."

13. Crisis & the Media • Emergencies are characterised by chaos and confusion • Our task during a crisis is to minimise these, otherwise fearwill turn into panic • The media, whether you like it or not, isa key channel of communication with the public • Newspapers, TV, radio stations, wire services, and increasingly web-based journalists will all come at you in an emergency!

14. Work with the Media

15. Working with the Media • Disasters are media events: the more catastrophic the disaster, the more press attention you will get. • First rule of engagement: DON’T LIE! The consequence can be a disaster in itself. • The media live on accurate and timely information. • Give them that by sticking with what you know. Don’t speculate, give them the facts. But put these facts in context for them. • Don’t let them speculate either. If you don’t know the relevant information that they need – find out.

16. Lessons Learnt • If you don’t already have one, name a spokesperson • Don’t have too many spokespersons saying different things • Draft talking points for responsible officials so that they do not say contradictory things and confuse the public • Form alliances and coordinate with relevant agencies to come up with common key messages that they could hammer home

17. What Went Wrong? • Do an autopsy on your media communications • Why didn’t people believe you? (trust) • Did somebody else get to them first? (early announcement) • Did your measures appear to be above board to the public? (transparency) • Was there feed back from the public? (listening) • Was media part of the broader communications strategy? (planning)

18. Risk Communications: theory to practice

19. Planning communications Theory: Emergency communication planning • Emergency communications planning as part of broader risk communications and the overall PP&R strategy, makes for an integrated response to public health emergencies. Practice: • Utilise simple good planning steps to form a strategic base from which to develop tactics - think: • what, why • who, how…

20. What, why, who & how • What do we want to tell people? - What they can do to protect themselves and prevent the spread of H1N1 • Why are we telling people this? - Because we want people to take action and use preventative measures • Who are our audience(s)? – Young people, office workers, pregnant women, tourists (not just ‘general public’!) • How will we reach them? – What tools & tactics, that is what materials and what channels? • Broadcast level media, or community forums, • Give people direct access to information themselves (eg on a website), and/or from other sources (eg from health professionals?) • The best solution is usually a combination of tools and tactics

21. Understanding & reaching audiences Theory: Listening to affected groups and populations • Check that we are speak with people effectively • The ‘general public’ comprises different audience segments – identify and gain insights about them such as: • family and gender dynamics • everyday language and literacy levels • socio-economic status and cultural norms • interaction with livestock Practice: • Communication should be a 2-way dialogue, provide opportunities for direct contact, listening and feedback. • Integrate messaging for consistency at all levels, building both mass awareness and driving specific action and behaviour change over time.

22. Integrated messaging Audience groups – targeted to particular groups, overheard by those with a relevant interest Backdrop or broadcast – heard by and relevant to the broadest audience Specific target audiences – relevant only to those directly affected

23. Monitoring & Evaluation Theory: Communication Evaluation • The capacity to effectively and efficiently evaluate communication during an event is crucial to inform the modification of communication strategies and messages so that public health objectives are met. Practice: • Set indicators of success against SMART objectives: • S – specific • M – measureable • A – achievable • R – realistic • T – Targeted and timed • Embed monitoring, control and evaluation indicators and feedback mechanisms in the planning stage

24. Listening & understanding now • Monitor, adapt and evaluate during, not just after the event. Use techniques such as: • provide feedback mechanisms such as ‘your questions answered’ section on the website, • hold small, local Q&A sessions with senior MoPH and/or health professionals • Give VHVs postcards that they leave for people to write their concerns on, so at the next visit these can be discussed with the community. • Provide health centres with standardised, simple mechanisms for reporting back so that the incoming data is consistently formatted, making it easier to analyse and make use of the results. • Use the hotline to gather statistical data and importantly anecdotal concerns • Monitor print (local, not just national) and online media to capture what is being said by the citizens, not just reporters. • Conduct straw polls or rapid surveys (online, telephone or in the field) and observation studies – understand not just what people think, but also what they are actually do.

25. Social Mobilization Broad Scope Of Risk Communications Behaviour Change Comms Policy + Advocacy – health Comms: - - Comms Coordination - Transparency Strategic Comms Plan with RiskAssessment Multi-faceted, integrated public health emergency Campaign Emergency Comms Plan Evaluation, Feedback Media Management + Integration of Findings into BCC Signposting to support services Health Promotion Health Promotion Stakeholder engagement Audience research + profiling, base-lining Listening Monitoring & Control message development + testing Normalization/ Chronic Problem Surveillance concern/ Pre-event Prevention/ migration Event decline Event RESPOND PREPARE RECOVER (Public Health Continuum)

26. Thank you