5.3: Public Health Messaging
So how do reputable sources get correct information out to the public? How can government agencies and scientific communities regain and maintain the public trust?
Many of the government organizations described in Chapter 4 maintain public-facing websites, describing their work, policies, news reports, and guidance developed from that work. Some agencies maintain social media pages as well and provide traditional media with press releases on emerging health concerns. Several also produce toolkits to aid health workers and educators in their own communications with the public, such as the CDC, WHO, FDA etc. The CDC also posts guidelines, toolkits, and professional development modules to assist health professionals in creating clear and equity-focused communication materials.
After the COVID-19 “infodemic” surrounding public health measures and vaccine myths spread rapidly, government agencies have recognized misinformation as a significant public health concern. In fact, in 2021 the U.S. Surgeon General released a report summarizing the threat of health misinformation and a call to action for individuals and organizations, stating: “Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people’s health, and undermine public health efforts. Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic imperative that will require a whole-of-society effort” (Murthy, 2021). In April of 2022, the CDC launched an initiative to improve their communication practices, including:
- To provide timely and accurate data to the American public, CDC is working to share scientific findings and data faster by releasing information more quickly with the American public and partners about CDC’s current level of understanding of the science and data.
- To make science and data easier for broad audiences to interpret, CDC is translating science into practical, easy to understand policy by clarifying and presenting scientific language so that anyone can understand it and standardizing guideline development across the agency.
- To help CDC speak in one voice during and across public health emergencies, CDC is prioritizing public health communications by improving how the American public interacts with CDC, including a review of the entire CDC.gov website to assess content and functionality. (CDC, 2023)