The ongoing global epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) presents a challenge for Public Health communicators. With a story changing by the hour, outbreaks in
more than 40 countries, constant coverage and public fear, every city, region and country - from China, to Singapore, to Brazil -- has its own story.
At press time, Canada appears to be weathering the storm. It had a relatively severe outbreak, with more than 23 deaths attributed to the disease, a World Health Organization
(WHO) advisory issued and then lifted, and now a time of constant vigilance to prevent further outbreaks. In hindsight, there's always room to question whether the response could
have been better or faster, but it appears that local, provincial and Canadian officials responded as rapidly as possible to contain the problem, to treat those suffering from
SARS and to prevent spreading of the disease.
I was invited to participate in the Canada SARS conference in Toronto that convened the day after the WHO lifted the travel ban. Analysis of the Canadian response to SARS will
soon fill journal articles and books and may rank among the business and communications school case studies for Crisis Response. While many aspects of the response deserve
coverage, I'll limit this account to one critical aspect: messages and messengers.
Since the first outbreak was in Toronto, communications and news coverage began in that city and in the province of Ontario. While there were stories and responses from
specific communities and hospitals, the official communications came from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. This was complimented by information from Health
Canada (the federal health care department with many of the responsibilities of our NIH and CDC).
"If there was an overriding approach to our communications it was that the most effective way to fight fear was with information," says Sheila Watkins, director general of
Communications, Marketing and Consultation for Health Canada.
John Bozzo, executive director of the Communications and Information Branch of the Ontario Ministry, adds: "A critical factor in our response was that communicators had a seat
at the table. We weren't just serving as spokespersons relaying information, we were directly involved in the messaging."
So messages were calibrated with the need to help the press understand the science, translate technical terms into layman's language and to develop targeted messages for
specific audiences, such as the Asian community -- where the first cases came from -- and to health care workers in hospitals, who represented a significant number of people who
contracted SARS.
While the WHO advisory and other aspects of the crisis had political and economic overtones -- and many elected officials jumped into the fray -- the public health teams
decided that scientists and physicians would be best able to discuss the technical information and also reassure the multiple constituencies.
"At Health Canada, we designated one person to be the principal spokesperson in English and one in French," Watkins says. So Dr. Paul Gully became the primary English speaking
voice and face for Canada in local, national and international media and for testimony before the U.S. Senate.
There was little time for formal media training, but all communicators received a daily briefing on both new facts and messages. This briefing came after analyzing all the
clips, breaking news, reports from hospitals and labs throughout the country and message crafting.
Besides reviewing factual information, spokespersons were reminded to avoid answering speculative questions and questions that went beyond their field of expertise or assigned
responsibility - just the sort of questions that reporters in format press conferences or "media scrums" are bound to ask.
Spokespersons were also advised that in crisis communications, particularly with an apprehensive public and public health community, that the tone and demeanor were almost as
critical as the words spoken. I observed Gully on U.S. and Canadian broadcasts and he consistently came across as fact based and credible. He skillfully resisted many
opportunities to answer reporter speculative questions or provide any inflammatory comments during the period when WHO was reconsidering the travel ban.
Canada is in a relatively unique position. At one end of the spectrum, Asian nations are still not cleared by the WHO from travel advisories and other concerns. The U.S. and
other western nations believe that they are well prepared, but, fortunately, don't have the fatalities that would ratchet-up their crisis communications. The Canadian case study,
taught by their public health physicians and scientists is a compelling story.
Editor's Note; Check out other articles on media training and crisis management at PR NEWS' online article archives, http://www.PRandMarketing.com
Crisis Tactics
In crisis communications it's important to use every communications avenue. Provincial and federal agencies did some of the following to respond to the outbreak of SARS in
Canada:
- Daily meetings to decide on the "message(s) of the day.
- Daily press briefings. Being accessible.
- Excellent use of Web sites.
- Use of skilled technical communicators, who also had media savvy.
- Refused to speculate on what they didn't know.
Contact: Andy Gilman is president of CommCore Consulting.
Reach him at 202.659.4177 or at [email protected].