Thursday, May 13, 2021
2:30 PM- 3:30 PM
S13: Local Public Health – Navigating Conflicting Information
Since the start of the pandemic, the public has been barraged by conflicting messages about the coronavirus. Rumors, misinformation, and outright falsehoods—some intentionally propagated—have also flourished in that cauldron of confusion. Public health officials communicating about risks must evolve as well, so that they can reach target audiences with important and timely health-related information by using the audience’s preferred communication mechanisms. You will learn risk perception and communication, what to communicate and how to construct messages to facilitate trust, situational awareness, communication resources and tools, preparing for a media interview or public appearance, and avoiding communication traps.
Presenters:
Chirag Bhatt, Owner, MyHealthInspector.org
Stephen L. Williams, Director, Houston Health Department
Ernie Julian, PhD., Chief, Rhode Island Department of Health
Deanna Copeland, RS/REHS, Manager, Harris County Public Health Dept