Transcript Document

Risk / Crisis Communication
Dr. Obaid Al-Shaqsi
Communication Department
Sultan Qaboos University
[email protected]
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Risk Communication Paradigms
Watch out!! •
(precaution advocacy)
Calm down!! •
(outrage and fear management)
We’ll get through this together. •
(crisis communication)
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Media – Institution Relation
Media are a potential enemy •
But are also
A close friend •
The relation between them depends •
on whether the health institution was
the:
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cause of the risk/crisis –
Or the mitigating and relieving body –
What is a Crisis or Risk?
Any expected and unexpected event that •
causes damage in lives and properties and
harm the reputation of a country or
organization if not managed properly
Risk = Hazard + Outrage •
People weight outrage according to their values
Reducing outrage will help to reduce perceived
risk
(Peter Sandman’s formula!)
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Crisis Lifecycle
Pre-crisis: Crises incubation period •
where a series of warning signals come
out before the crisis event.
During Crisis: Sequence of events in an •
unstable or crucial time in which a
decisive change occurs.
Post crisis: Period in which the safety •
level is restored and learning and
continuity mechanisms are initiated.
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What is Crisis or Risk
Communication
The ability to use the media and all •
possible means of communication to
maintain the reputation of the organization
amongst its internal & external audience
through a systematic and scientific
approach
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Is Crisis/Risk Communication
Important?
During a crisis, people external to your •
public health agency, will be frightened and
seeking information, guidance, and
reassurance.
The public has the right to gain information, •
ask question and seek guidance
Evidence strongly suggests that coverage is •
more factual when reporters have more
information. They become more
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interpretative when they have less
Some differences
– Risk communication provides •
information about expected outcomes
resulting from a behavior or exposure.
– Crisis communication is an effort to •
inform the public about a crisis and how
to react.
– Emergency risk communication •
attempts to provide information to
people so they can make decisions.
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Media Risk/Crisis Management
Team
Media Crisis Management (MCM) is a PR •
work
The department responsible for MCM is •
normally annexed to the top management
in the organizational chart
The team is normally headed by the head •
or deputy head of the organization and
includes:
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Media experts
Law person
Public affairs experts
Health & medical professionals
Financial expert
Psychiatrist or sociologist
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Basic strategies for implementing risk
communication include:
– Having a plan before the crisis arises
– Listening to the public
– Responding to media requests
– Preparing for questions
– Paying attention to body language
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The Message according to
the STARCC Principle
Your public messages in a crisis must be:
Simple
Timely
Accurate
Relevant
Credible
Consistent
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What the Public Will Ask First
Are my family and I safe?
What have you found that may affect me?
What can I do to protect myself and my
family?
Who caused this?
Can you fix it?
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What the Media Will Ask First
What's going on? Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?, 
How?
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How long has it been going on?
How long have you known about it?
What have you done so far?
What happened?
Was anybody hurt or killed?
What caused it?
Who is responsible for that? Penalty?
Couldn't you have prevented this?
Is it safe now?
How safe is it?
Why did it happen?
Can it happen again?
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Summary of Information sought
by media
Casualty numbers, condition, treatment
Property damage
Response and relief activities
Resulting effects (anxiety, stress)
Questions are predictable
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Message Development
When creating a message
consider:
Audience
Purpose of
Method of
Message
Delivery
Relationship to
Give Facts/ Spokesperson
event
update
Demographics Rally to action
Print media
Level of
outrage
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Clarify event
status
Address
Rumors
Satisfy media
Web Radio
How to communicate
effectively?
1. Expression of empathy and caring
2. Confirmed facts (Who, what, when,
where, why, how)
3. What you don’t know about the situation
4. Process to deal with the problem
5. Statement of commitment
6. Where people can get more information
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Example: Create a Message
A virulent strain of Type A influenza has caused
1500infections and 150 deaths in Southeast Asia
In the past 3 days, people have become ill in New
York
and Los Angeles
Today, 30 area residents were admitted to the
hospital with high fever, difficulty breathing, and
severe pneumonia; lab results will be available in
12-24 hours
No vaccines or drugs are known to be effective
Symptoms are treatable with supportive medical
care
Public health is operating on the assumption that
this is the same flu reported in Asia and the US
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• Public health is working closely with hospitals
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This is How to Create an
effective message (1)
Expression of empathy and caring: •
“We’ve all been hearing news about the –
flu, and we’re concerned about what we
might be facing in our communities.”
Confirming facts: •
“Today, 30 people were admitted to –
hospitals with high fever, difficulty
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This is How to Create an
effective message (2)
What you don’t know about the situation •
“We suspect it is the same influenza that has –
recently appeared in southeast Asia and parts of
the US, but we cannot conclusively identify this
disease at this time.”
Process to deal with the problem •
“However, specimens have been sent to the state –
laboratory and we are awaiting the results. In the
meantime, we have brought together the best
medical and scientific expertise to care for the
sick, learn the cause of their illness, and if it is a
contagious disease, work to contain it.”
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This is How to Create an
effective message (3)
Statement of commitment •
“This is a process that is going to take a –
little time. We will update the public on any
information as it comes to light.”
Where people can get more information •
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“We have established a public health –
hotline to answer people’s questions and
have important information on our Web
site. The number to call is 1-800-5551FLU, or visit www.FluInfo.gov.”
Consideration 1:
Premature overconfident over reassurance:
"We are very encouraged that the results from
our monitoring of air quality and drinking water
conditions in both New York and near the
Pentagon show that the public in these areas is
not being exposed to excessive levels of
asbestos or other harmful substances… I am
glad to reassure the people of New York and
Washington, D.C. that their air is safe to breath
and their water is safe to drink"
U.S.Environmental Protection
Agency Director Whitman,
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September
18, 2001
Judge Blasts Ex-EPA Chief For
'Conscience-Shocking' Actions After
9/11
“for reassuring Manhattan residents
soon after the 2001 terrorist attacks that
the environment was safe to return to
homes and offices while toxic dust was
polluting the neighborhood.”
--NBC News, February 2006
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Blasting Christie Todd Whitman
“The EPA's Office of the Inspector
General eventually criticized the
agency's response, saying it did not
have available data and information
to support the Sept. 18, 2001,
statement that the air was safe to
breathe.
“The EPA's internal watchdog found
the agency, at the urging of White
House officials, gave misleading
assurances there was no health risk
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Blasting Christie, continued
Consideration 2: Always make sure there is a way
out
Mayor Bloomberg, early in the NY blackout of
2003
Here what CNN Caption
Here what the Mayor’s
reads
said
“I can tell you 100
percent sure that
there is no
evidence as of
this moment
whatsoever of
any terrorism.”
24 NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg talking to
CNN anchor Kyra Phillips, 7:41 p.m.,
Bloomberg example don’t over-reassure
“100% sure”
Consideration 3:. Put reassuring
information in subordinate clauses
Veterinary Services DG Datuk Dr. Hawari
Hussein: Malaysia was eligible to declare
"bird flu free," after no new cases were
detected for 21 days.
However, this is how he stated it:
…health authorities were doing extra tests
"to be absolutely sure... The threat is still
there, from neighbouring countries. The
tests are part of our own initiative to be
sure."
Subordinate Clause
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(adapted from the Star on line, November 16 2004: Malaysia set to be
Consideration 4: Don’t wait until it
is too late
“One might think we are overreacting to the
cases. But when you do not know the cause,
when it strikes hospital staff, ands it certainly
is moving at the speed of a jet, we are taking
this very seriously.”
– WHO’s Dick Thompson
--From the risk communication Good Example file. (Don't aim
for zero fear; err on the alarming side; acknowledge people's
"anchoring frames.“)
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Consideration 5. Transparency.
Acknowledge uncertainty
“We will learn things in the coming weeks
that everyone will wish we had known
when we started.”
This became the U.S. CDC’s mantra after
its early communication mistakes during
the anthrax poisonings.
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Uncertainty
Consideration 6: Sharing
Dilemma
“Of course, it’s impossible to say if, when
and how a pandemic might develop. The
next pandemic might be comparatively
mild like the flu outbreaks of the late 50s
and 60s. But it could also be a worldwide
biological version of the Indian Ocean
Tsunami. There are obvious limits to how
much governments can invest in
preparations for hypothetical events,
however serious.”
--from a May 2005 speech by Australia Minister of Health Tony Abbott
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Minister Abbott’s Dilemma (and
yours), continued
“ It’s hard to discuss potential disasters outside
people’s ordinary experience without
generating the sort of lurid headlines which
make some scoff and others panic…
“ If a deadly flu pandemic ever seems imminent,
no preparations will be enough. But if the
current bird flu outbreaks in Asia gradually
subside, the Government’s investment in a
stockpile likely to be time-expired in five years
will be the health equivalent of a redundant
weapons system.”
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Consideration 7: Coping with the
emotional side of the crisis
8.
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Don't overdiagnose or
overplan for panic.
“Panic” in Boracay fire? Not.
A couple months ago, there was a fire at a
cottage resort at Boracay, a famous
vacation spot in the Philippines.
People fled the fire.
“Foreigners were seen helping mostly
local tourists carry their baggages to
safe spots.“
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"no one was reported injured or
killed."
Boracay fire As reported by the
media
"no one was reported injured or
killed,"
but the same reporter said the fire sent
"hundreds of tourists in panic.”
And said that the incident
"caused panic not only to the residents…,
but especially to local and foreign tourists.
People flee in different directions looking
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for a place where they will be safe."
Consideration 8: Don’t be offensive to
others
When Australia and several Asian countries
warned against travel to Singapore, Mr Goh
responded: 'We can understand that,
because we also give travel advisories to
Singaporeans not to go to [other] affected
places.
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'So we must expect other countries to advise
their travellers not to come to Singapore... If
we are open about it and all Singaporeans
cooperate by being as careful as they can,
we may be able to break this cycle early and
if we do, then of course people outside will
have confidence in Singapore and the way
we manage the problem.‘
Consideration 9: Acknowledge errors,
deficiencies, and misbehaviors.
Canadian official: “We believe this decision
was made without consulting the province –
we believe it was an over-reaction.” “The
medical evidence does not support this
advisory.”
WHO’s Dick Thompson: “There was a
breakdown in communications. I think that
we’re willing to acknowledge that there was
some kind of mistake, that they didn’t receive
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the message. And I think we’re ready to
Some other Considerations
10. Don't lie, and don't tell half
truths.
11. Apologize when necessary
12. Avoid saying I don’t know
13. Show feelings and remorse
14. Advance human loss to other
damages
15. Speak one language
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Crisis and Emergency Communication
Accuracy of
Information
+
Speed of Release
Empathy
+
Openness
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Credibility
+
Trust
=
Successful
Communication
Scenario for an exercise:
Ten minutes in a taxi with your Minister
The Minister has not been trained in risk
communication.
He or she is going to announce that a
gastroenteritis outbreak is actually cholera.
The facts are: The Health Department confirmed
this two weeks ago, but did not tell the public
until – ten minutes from now.
Brief the Minister on the risk communication
strategies to help make this announcement.
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Announcing that it is cholera
For several weeks, officials have been
reporting increasing numbers of
diarrheal illnesses.
These are in villages near a major
international resort. Most of the workers
at this resort live in these villages.
Increasing rumors suggest that the
illnesses are really cholera. Today the
Health Minister is going to confirm this.
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.
….Thank you ….
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