Communications

Communications Preparations

Communication Preparations that can be done beforehand to be ready for smallpox:

  1. Create or update your written smallpox media and communications plans.
  2. Create or update websites with information about smallpox and how public health will respond.
  3. Develop smallpox-related education and information materials.
  4. Develop training courses for healthcare providers and first responders.
  5. Develop a communications research plan to ascertain how your messages would be received.
  6. Media/Communication training for local public health officials.
  7. Media/Communication training for your designated spokespeople.
  8. Develop materials for the media to use on various smallpox topics. This should be developed as both pre- and post-event messages. Some of the topics to be addressed would be isolation and quarantine, vaccine benefits and risks and handling unconfirmed reports.
  9. Establish a joint information center for all government agencies immediately after a case is found. Build and utilize a pool of smallpox experts.
  10. Develop a portfolio of messages and materials.
  11. Improve existing websites / Prepare an “Emergency Response” Website.
  12. Expand and prepare communication capacity.
  13. Expand and prepare local capacity.
  14. Work with a range of partners on communications coordination and response.
  15. Develop operational plans for Communications Command Posts and for response teams.

The press and the media will be “all over” the story trying to get their own unique spin on the case. After the initial shock of the story breaking, this can cause them to turn to people who will critique the response. Regular and frequent briefings, websites, managed access to experts, and other tools are used to manage their interests and meet their needs. Key messages should be developed and shared among the agencies and organizations involved in the response. And these messages are crafted from the perspective of the organization and their audience. Inaccuracies are a minor thing if the major messages are consistent. But no matter what you do, the government and its public health response will be criticized. It’s the nature of media. 

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