As an individual who closely follows pandemic communication, I have been observing some communication “traps” that the communicators fall into. During my research on this, I found excellent advice from the US CDC website with regard to this topic. I am sharing relevant pieces from that post here.
This post details out dos and don’ts when we communicate events related to an outbreak.
| Dos | Do not s |
| define technical terms in plain language | Use language that even a small section cannot understand |
| Ask whether you have made the information clear. | Do not assume that everything is clear. |
| use examples or analogues to explain a complex topic | Do not assume they understand everything. |
| Focus on facts at hand | Do not speculate |
| Promise only what you can deliver | Do not make promises you cannot deliver |
| Take responsibility of your share of the problem; use empathy | Do not blame or shame others |
