A teachable moment in the Hawaii false alarm
One of the best-known Greek myths tells the story of Cassandra, Princess of Troy, who was granted the power to foretell the future by the god Apollo as a gift in exchange for her love. …
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Canada needs a fresh strategy for pandemic communications
Effective communication can save lives. In a crisis or emergency, it’s essential that people have access to accurate information from trusted sources to protect themselves. Yet, in our highly fragmented mediascape with its splintering of media platforms and proliferation …
Read MoreContagion fear
A survey of Canadian views of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa shows a gap between the risks we face and our fears. Governments need to understand this perception gap, and prepare for the consequences …
Read MoreHard work ahead on new emergency alert system
Shortly before 10 a.m. on October 22, 2014, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, standing guard at the steps of the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa, tragically lost his life when a gunman opened fire. It was …
Read MoreHurricane Matthew and the problem of communicating fear
The history of risk communication is chock full of examples where threats are ignored or downplayed (Ebola in West Africa), details of the threat are concealed (SARS), or populations are given inappropriate reassurance (Hurricane Katrina). …
Read MorePandemic puts public trust to the test
Canadians have never had greater access to news and information than they do today. In addition to daily newspapers, television, radio and Internet news sites – many of which have dropped their paywalls for COVID-19 …
Read MoreTaking off the gloves
A funny thing happened during a May 2015 workshop at Carleton University: a room full of public health experts and practitioners all but stood up and cheered for the federal Minister of Health. Well, it wasn't …
Read MoreThe Zika virus: Communicating an evolving health risk
Consider this: just hours after Tom Frieden, Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported to the White House Foreign Affairs Committee that Zika virus had been identified in the tissue of …
Read MoreUncertainty management: communicating the Zika risk
“The government is advising Colombian women to delay becoming pregnant for six to eight months…” The statements of Colombian Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria in response to the Zika virus threat and echoed by other regional health …
Read MoreWhat kept RCMP from using emergency alert system in Nova Scotia?
Government and public safety officials have a responsibility to alert the public when they face imminent risk to their health and security and to provide guidance about how they can protect themselves. “When an emergency …
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