Disasters and People

Reading Summary 5

Sylvia C Kearney Reading Summary 5

REFERENCE: Johnson Avery, E., & Kim, S. (2008). Preparing for Pandemic While Managing Uncertainty: An Analysis of the Construction of Fear and Uncertainty in Press Releases of Major Health Agencies. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, 1-26.

THEME: Does a Public Information Officer Instill Fear and Anxiety In a Press Release to the Public?

SUMMARY: When SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) broke out in 2003 in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Canada, the WHO (World Health Organization) published a global alert. “ . . . Faced with a potential pandemic “for which there were no identified causal agent, no diagnostic laboratory assays, no defined properties or risk factors for transmission, no infection-control practices of proven efficacy, and no known treatment or preventative measures.” (Lingappa, McDonald, Simone, & Parashar, 2004, p. 1) This information is daunting and to tell the entire world can inflict possible chaos.

1)    First of all, the International Health community did not know very much about this outbreak and the public knew even less. “These types of challenges are similar to those currently posed to PIO’s in the midst of preparing for a possible, . . . pandemic.” (Johnson Avery, E., & Kim, S. (2008).

2)    The public insists and deserves timely, accurate information. Matter of fact, in any event, the very first 24hours are crucial in forming public opinion about a disaster. In a hurricane that will hit landfall, it is of vital importance to evacuate those people that may be in the path of the hurricane.

3)    Speed is also of the very essence. There may be no time to filter the information, there may be no time to regard managerial levels, there may just be no time but to, “ . . . assert message features such as clarity, completeness, volume, accuracy, source ethos, ambiguity, applicability, and consistency are key to reducing uncertainty in receivers of health messages.” (Johnson Avery, E., & Kim, S. (2008). When a person is trying to assess and manage messages as they come in and as they need to be broadcasted by a PIO, human behavior dictates that fear, anxiety etc. is difficult to hide.

4)    Short factual up-dates to the public are better and easier to handle, in case a change in a previous update needs to be explained.

5)    In most cases a website for explanation should also be offered to the public so they can inform themselves about the pandemic. This can also help anxiety or fear, since individuals now feel empowered to inform themselves.

APPLICATION: “PIO’s must communicate their own uncertainties, then, in a way, that restores efficacy even in the face of uncertainty by presenting publics with some course of action or at least demonstrate their own efforts taken to reduce the threat.” (Johnson Avery, E., & Kim, S. (2008). There needs to be a positive relationship between uncertainty and fear.

Additional Readings: Lingappa, McDonald, Simone, & Parashar, 2004, p. 1