Spearheading communications for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the first few weeks of the swine flu pandemic was Richard Besser, the acting director of the CDC and now an ABC News health reporter. Besser is considered by experts to have handled the swine flu crisis communication skillfully and effectively, and in a recent article in the Jan. 14 issue of Nature, Brendan Maher’s, “Swine flu: Crisis communicator,” details Besser’s communication strategy and how it played out in the early days of our most recent global pandemic.
In the early days of the swine flu little was known about the virus, but the data that was available to the CDC indicated that a serious pandemic outbreak was a fearful possibility. Without much solid information to offer the public, Besser knew that this emerging crisis would require rapid and “candid communication to engender trust, not panic.” To this end he took advantage of three principles from a CDC pamphlet on crisis and emergency risk communication, ‘Be First, Be Right, and Be Credible”:
Be first. Though being first is a challenge when facing a global audience with limited information, Besser believed that early communication was necessary to confront the imminent threat of a widespread outbreak. To gain the public’s trust, as the chief communicator for the CDC, he adhered to the following principles: “tell everything we knew, everything we didn’t know and what we were doing to get the answers.”
Be right. At the time, Besser admitted that the CDC’s handling of the swine flu outbreak would be more like a marathon than a sprint. Only correct and supported information would be communicated as it was available to avoid any rash decision making based on faulty assumptions.
Be credible. Experts credit Besser’s calm, consistent, and up-front messages with enhancing his credibility. A conservative and honest approach to communication strategy helped to eliminate the chances of missteps that would compromise the public’s confidence.
Crisis communication is a part of any media relations plan at Russo Partners, and we are committed to straightforward and clear messaging, even in moments of unforeseen circumstances. We build messages that are consistent, and consistency builds trust. Trust is important to any company’s strong public profile.
