Presentacin de PowerPoint

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COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS
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Communication cycle in times of crisis
Maintenance
Assessment
Pre-crisis
Start
Resolution

• Help the public to understand their own risk
• Provide background information to those who need
  it
• Seek support for response and recovery plans
• Listen to the decision-makers and the audience
  for feedback and rectification
• Explain the emergency recommendations
• Improve risk-benefit decision-making

• Recognize the event with empathy
• Explain the risk in simple terms
• Establish the credibility of the speaker
• Provide guidelines for implementation of the
  actions
• Obtain the decision-makers commitment to
  continue with the communication

• Assess the communication plan
• Document the lessons learned
• Determine specific actions that improve the
  system or the crisis plan

• Be prepared
• Make alliances
• Seek consensus for applying the recommendations
• Try out your messages

• Improve public responses through education
• Examine the problems and reinforce what worked
  well
• Persuade the public to support the public policy
  and the availability of resources
• Promote activities and capabilities

Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Role of risk communication in crisis and
emergency situations

• Communication during a crisis cannot be handled
  by mobilizing more people and materials. The
  communication itself will have to change.
• Risk communication in emergency and crisis
  situationshould take into account certain harmful
  conducts that appear during these events.

Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Response of the health sector
The response of the public health sector during a
crisis should aim to reduce and prevent
diseases, lesions, and deaths, and should try to
get individuals and communities to return to
their normal lives in the shortest possible time.
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Human conduct during an emergency What can
communication do?

• Most individuals are able to act reasonably
  during an emergency.
• They may also exaggerate communicative responses,
  as well as adopting rudimentary, instinctive
  reasoning.

• If this is the first emergency of its type
  (man-made or natural), the communication
  challenges will be greater.

Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Stress and psychological manifestations during a
crisis
Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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How to communicate effectively in a crisis

• It is important to remember that your goal is not
  to over-assure the public. People need to be
  vigilant, although at the beginning they may be
  hyper-vigilant.
• It is recommended to give the good news in
  subordinate clauses, with the more alarming news
  in the first clause. For example It is too
  early to say that we are safe, although we have
  had no more eruptive processes for x days now.

Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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How to communicate effectively in a crisis
(Continued)

• What leads to panic is not the bad news, but
  anything doubtful in the message received.
  Individuals feel panic when they cannot rely on
  what they are being told or when they feel
  abandoned in dangerous territory.
• When people are frightened, the worst thing is to
  pretend that they are not, and the next worst
  thing is to tell them not to be afraid.

• Even if the fear is completely unjustified, it is
  wrong to ignore it, criticize it, or make fun of
  it.

Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Admit uncertainty
Admitting uncertainty is effective when the
communicator expresses it honestly to the
audience, using words like I really wish I
could give a definitive answer to that.
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Principles of risk communication and its
importance in the crisis phase
Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Relationship of the audience with the event
International Exchange /Industry Community
/Nation Elected officers
Face the public immediately Media Families
of victims
First persons to respond Victims Public
health Doctors
CRISIS
Action Messages Safety
Immediate action not required Interest in
safety and real situations
Vicarious rehearsal Interest in safety and
over-assurance
Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Elements of successful communication
Accuracy of the information
Credibility Trust
Speed of delivery
Successful communication

Empathy Openness
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Preparing the main points in a presentation
Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Development of the message
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Crisis phase and communication plan

• There is no second chance to correct what is done
  in the initial phase of the crisis.
• The communication plan is an information
  resource it is the place where information
  should be found.

• The key to a reply is to have all the information
  on the topic as clearly set out as possible.
• Emergencies can occur outside working hours
  learn to use the back doors of the scenario to
  arrive at the same time as the news editors.

Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Nine steps in crisis response
Organize activities
Obtain information and acceptance
Do the assessment (activate the crisis plan)
4
3
Give information to the media and the public
5
Conduct the notification
2
6
Verify the situation
1
The crisis occurs
Obtain feedback and conduct crisis assessment
7
8
9
Conduct education of the public
Monitor events
Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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The communicator should be the first to
speak, say the right thing, and have credibility

• The planning of crisis communication should be
  designed to manage the first 48 hours of the
  emergency. During that time the communication
  will be scrutinized by the media and the public.
• The communicator not only reads the statement he
  is the statement.
• Every organization has its own identity, and the
  communicator should personify that identity.

Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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The spokesperson What should he or she know?

• Be prepared to answer these questions
• Are my family and I safe?
• What can I do to protect myself and my family?
• Who is in charge?
• What can we expect?
• Why did this happen?
• Did they know this would happen?
• Why wasnt it prevented?
• What else might happen?
• How long have you been working in this?
• What does this information mean?

• Inspire confidence and trust
• Be emphatic and show interest
• Show competence and experience
• Be honest and open
• Show commitment and dedication

• Recommendations
• Do not over-assure
• Admit uncertainty
• Express wishes (I wish I had an answer)
• Explain the process
• Recognize the peoples fear
• Give instructions to the people
• Look for more people (share the risk)

• Stick to the objective of your message
• It is important to remember...
• I cant answer that question, but what I can
  tell you is that ...
• Before I forget, I want to tell you...
• Let me put this in perspective...

• As a spokesperson
• Be familiar with the policies of your
  organization
• Keep inside the framework of your
  responsibilities
• Tell the truth, be transparent
• Personify your agencys identity

Be the first to inform, say the right thing, and
be credible
Consistent messages are vital
Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication
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Work with the mass media
To declare war on the media, though tempting, is
a game you will never win Stratford P. Sherman
Source CDC, September 2002. Crisis Emergency
Risk Communication