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Risk / Crisis Communication

Risk / Crisis Communication. Dr. Obaid Al-Shaqsi Communication Department Sultan Qaboos University dr.shaqsi@gmail.com. Risk Communication Paradigms. Watch out!! (precaution advocacy) Calm down!! (outrage and fear management) We’ll get through this together.

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Risk / Crisis Communication

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  1. Risk / Crisis Communication Dr. Obaid Al-Shaqsi Communication Department Sultan Qaboos University dr.shaqsi@gmail.com

  2. Risk Communication Paradigms • Watch out!! (precaution advocacy) • Calm down!! (outrage and fear management) • We’ll get through this together. (crisis communication)

  3. 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: • cause of the risk/crisis • Or the mitigating and relieving body

  4. 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!)

  5. 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.

  6. 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

  7. 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 interpretative when they have less information.

  8. 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.

  9. 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: • Media experts • Law person • Public affairs experts • Health & medical professionals • Financial expert • Psychiatrist or sociologist

  10. Basic strategies for implementing riskcommunication include: • – Having a plan before the crisis arises • – Listening to the public • – Responding to media requests • – Preparing for questions • – Paying attention to body language

  11. Your public messages in a crisis must be: Simple Timely Accurate Relevant Credible Consistent The Message according to the STARCC Principle

  12. 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?

  13. What the Media Will Ask First • What's going on?Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?, How? • 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? • What are you doing about it?

  14. Summary of Information sought by media • Casualty numbers, condition, treatment • Property damage • Response and relief activities • Resulting effects (anxiety, stress) • Questions are predictable

  15. Message DevelopmentWhen creating a message consider:

  16. 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

  17. 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 • • Public health is working closely with hospitals and • medical staff to identify other cases

  18. 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

  19. 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.”

  20. 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 • “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 1-800-555-1FLU, or visit www.FluInfo.gov.”

  21. "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, September 18, 2001 Consideration 1: Premature overconfident over reassurance:

  22. Blasting Christie Todd Whitman 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

  23. Blasting Christie, continued “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 from the dust in the air after the towers' collapse.”

  24. Bloomberg example don’t over-reassure Here what CNN Caption reads Consideration 2: Always make sure there is a way out Mayor Bloomberg, early in the NY blackout of 2003 Here what the Mayor’s said “I can tell you 100 percent sure that there is no evidence as of this moment whatsoever of any terrorism.” NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg talking to CNN anchor Kyra Phillips, 7:41 p.m., August 14, 2003 “100% sure”

  25. Subordinate Clause 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." (adapted from the Star on line, November 16 2004: Malaysia set to be declared free of bird flu)

  26. 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.“)

  27. Consideration 5. Transparency. Acknowledge uncertainty 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.

  28. 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

  29. 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.” --from a May 2005 speech by Australia Minister of Health Tony Abbott

  30. Consideration 7: Coping with the emotional side of the crisis 8. Don't overdiagnose or overplan for panic.

  31. “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.“ "no one was reported injured or killed."

  32. 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 for a place where they will be safe."

  33. 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. '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.‘ Singapore PM Goh legitimizing others’ fears during SARS:

  34. 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 the message. And I think we’re ready to accept some blame here.”

  35. 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

  36. 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.

  37. 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.

  38. ….Thank you …. .

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