Communications
Communications
Preparations
Communication
Preparations that can be done beforehand to be ready for smallpox:
- Create or
update your written smallpox media and communications plans.
- Create or
update websites with information about smallpox and how public
health will respond.
- Develop smallpox-related
education and information materials.
- Develop training
courses for healthcare providers and first responders.
- Develop
a communications research plan to ascertain how your messages
would be received.
- Media/Communication
training for local public health officials.
- Media/Communication
training for your designated spokespeople.
- 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.
- Establish
a joint information center for all government agencies immediately
after a case is found. Build and utilize a pool of smallpox experts.
- Develop a
portfolio of messages and materials.
- Improve existing
websites / Prepare an “Emergency Response” Website.
- Expand and
prepare communication capacity.
- Expand and
prepare local capacity.
- Work with
a range of partners on communications coordination and response.
- 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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