Pandemic Messaging: Words Matter
I read an article a few days ago about how using certain words can get messages about the pandemic more effectively than others. You can read the article from Axios here. It shows striking contrasts between “words used” and “words we should have used”.
The “actors” in this study are the people giving the messages, and the people receiving the messages. Somehow they aren’t on the same page. And the current politicized environment (in the United States) taints the messages, making them less effective.
With regard to public health communications, it is important to get the message just right so that people will (1) understand what you’re trying to say, (2) believe what you’re trying to say, and (3) act accordingly in order to prevent disease and save lives. The public has to have buy-in, that “what’s in it for me” angle. At some point during my studies last semester, we learned about the Theory of Planned Behavior. This certainly fits the situation. Read more on wikipedia.
Effective communication is important in these situations. It is not the same as, say, trying to market a new brand of ketchup. That isn’t a life-or-death situation. I hope this makes sense. At this point I really don’t know much about the ins and outs of effective communication, but I can see the consequences of suboptimal messaging in the escalating public health crisis in the USA. Of course, communication is just one aspect and there are many more factors that drive the rising statistics for COVID-19 morbidity (disease) and mortality (death). But at least using the right words can be a start.
