Crisis And Emergency Risk Communication Research Articles

Building and maintaining trust through the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: A content analysis of communiques delivered by the Norwegian Minister of health and care services

The COVID-19 pandemic presented not only a challenge to leaders' decision-making, but also to their ability to demonstrate effective crisis and emergency communication. This study examines the communication delivered by the Norwegian Minister of Health and Care services during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, corresponding to the first wave of infection timeframe. Communiques were analysed through a process of coding to identify 15 Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) themes, in addition to word cloud analyses and KWIC-analyses. The results were aligned with policy stringency, public health measures from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and trust data from the Norwegian Directorate of Health (NDH) over timeframe to examine changes in communication. The study revealed that the communication delivered by the Minister included many of the CERC features, although communication failures could be observed, coinciding with reduction in the public's trust in the health authorities. Despite reduced trust, however, compliance with the precautionary measures against COVID-19 was still high. A likely explanation might be that the inherent trust in the health authorities was high, and that the simple, repeated efficacy messages was understood by the public—‘wash your hands and keep a distance’. These findings indicate that keeping communication science-based, transparent, accurate, and consistent, and never compromise with honesty and truthfulness, are keys in crisis and emergency situations. Being a leader in an organization with high inherent trust may also help.

Addressing COVID-19 inequities using bidirectional crisis and emergency risk communication and vaccine clinic interventions: a descriptive study

BackgroundIm/migrants (immigrants and migrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals without legal documentation) experience unique assets and needs in relation to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is one way to engage im/migrant communities. Rochester Healthy Community Partnership (RHCP) is a CBPR partnership in Rochester, Minnesota. RHCP partners noted that credible COVID-19 information was not available to their communities. In response, RHCP formed a COVID-19 Task Force and adapted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) framework to create an intervention that prioritized im/migrant groups experiencing health disparities. In the CERC intervention, communication leaders delivered COVID-19 health messages to their social networks and documented related concerns. RHCP relayed these concerns to regional leaders to ensure that im/migrant experiences were included in decision making. Once vaccines were available, RHCP continued to deploy the CERC intervention to promote vaccination equity. The aims of this paper are to (1) describe the implementation of a bidirectional CERC intervention for vaccination equity, and (2) describe a community-engaged and community-based vaccine clinic intervention.MethodsFirst, we surveyed participants (n = 37) to assess COVID-19 experiences, acceptability of the CERC intervention, and motivation to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Second, we collaborated with community partners to hold vaccine clinics. We report descriptive statistics from each intervention.ResultsWhen asked about the acceptability of the CERC intervention for vaccine equity, most participants either reported that they ‘really liked it’ or ‘thought it was just ok’. Most participants stated that they would recommend the program to family or friends who have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine. Almost all participants reported that they felt ‘much more’ or ‘somewhat more’ motivated to receive a COVID-19 vaccine after the intervention. We administered 1158 vaccines at the vaccination clinics.ConclusionsWe found that participants viewed the CERC intervention for vaccination equity as an acceptable way to disseminate COVID-19-related information. Nearly all participants reported that the intervention convinced them to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. In our experience, community-engaged and community-based clinics are a successful way to administer vaccines to im/migrant communities during a pandemic.

Sentiment Impact of Public Health Agency communication Strategies on TikTok under COVID-19 Normalization: Deep Learning Exploration.

The accessibility of social media data has allowed researchers to measure official-public interactions during COVID-19. However, previous work analyzing official posts or public comments has failed to explore the link between the two. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between the communication strategies of public health agencies (PHAs) on TikTok and public emotional/sentiment tendencies in COVID-19 normalization. This study uses the 2022 Shanghai city closure event as a public health communication case study in the context of COVID-19 normalization, using TikTok as a data source. We first analyze the communication strategies adopted by the PHA based on the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model. Then, we classify the sentiment of public comments using the Large-Scale Knowledge Enhanced Pre-Training for Language Understanding and Generation (ERNIE) pre-training model. Finally, we explore the connection between PHA communication strategies and public sentiment tendencies. First, the public's sentiment tendencies differ at different stages. Therefore, appropriate communication strategies should be developed stage-by-stage. Second, the public's emotional disposition to different communication strategies varies: government statements, vaccines, and prevention and control programs are more likely to produce a friendly comment environment, while policy and new cases per day are more likely to produce unfavorable comment content. However, this does not mean that policy and new cases per day should be avoided; the judicious use of these two strategies can help PHAs understand the current issues causing public dissatisfaction. Third, videos with celebrity appearances can significantly increase positive public sentiment and, thereby, public participation. We propose an improved CERC guideline for China based on the Shanghai lockdown case.

Mask making on social media: Women’s mask making practices and advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus SARS-COV-2, can create serious respiratory problems, or even death, for those affected. Individuals who share messages about its risks and related risk reduction behaviors have the potential to make a broader health impact. Early in the pandemic, some individuals made homemade masks to address the limited supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and posted about their efforts on social media. Aim: To understand the grassroots application of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) theoretical model concerning effective messages in early phases of a crisis. Methods: Using both individual interviews and observations, researchers conducted a study of 15 Appalachian women making masks during the Covid-19 pandemic and analyzed 9 of their social media accounts. Results: Through interviews and observations, the researchers gained understanding as to how mask makers used social media to create and distribute masks and engage their communities. Social media messages often contained calls to action, personal connections to the issue, and supported the mask makers’ efforts to reach a broader network of individuals. Discussion: An evaluation of the grassroots efforts of mask makers extends the CERC framework to the individual level. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the role of grassroots health advocacy, and the role of user-generated social media messaging in pandemic risk reduction.

Government Communication in Indonesia Through Social Media: Learning CERC in Dealing with Pandemic

This study aims to analyze government communication during the Covid-19 pandemic through social media. This study uses qualitative methods and secondary data obtained through documentation techniques. The unit of analysis for this research is the official social media accounts and websites of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, and the Covid-19 Task Force. The findings show that in the 2019-2020 pandemic, the government is experiencing stuttering and has not been able to carry out crisis communication properly through official social media, even though it already had regulations on crisis communication and management in disaster management. In the 2020-2021, the implementation of crisis communication through official social media can be seen with the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model which integrates risk communication and crisis communication. Three communication indicators in social media have high scores: be right, be capable, and promote action. Meanwhile, 3 communication indicators in social media have low scores: be first, be emphatic, show respect. This shows that communication indicators related to the community are still lacking compared to communication indicators related to the government. Government apparatus must understand the operational level, not only the conceptual level.

Public health communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives of communication specialists, healthcare professionals, and community members in Quebec, Canada.

ObjectivesCommunication during a pandemic is key in ensuring adoption of preventive behaviours and limiting disease transmission. The aim of the study was to explore how communication specialists working in health and governmental institutions and healthcare professionals have communicated about COVID-19, and how different groups of the public have perceived official communications on COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted an exploratory qualitative study. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions. The Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model was used as a theoretical framework to guide data interpretation.ResultsWe interviewed 6 communication specialists and 5 healthcare professionals. Three focus groups were held with 23 participants (8 young adults, 9 Quebecers of Asian ethnicity, and 6 Quebecers who suffered harshly from economic consequences of the pandemic and measures). Although daily press conferences were rapidly implemented in Quebec, participants highlighted several communication challenges, including accuracy and credibility of information in a context of uncertainties and rapidly evolving knowledge. Participants also identified paternalism, stigmatization of some communities, and issues with promoting action and mobilization of some subpopulations as communication challenges.ConclusionOur study showed that the six core CERC principles have not all been applied systematically in communication interventions in Quebec. Despite some limitations, messages about COVID-19 risk were clearly and consistently communicated and were generally well understood by most Quebecers.

Social media government communication and stakeholder engagement in the era of Covid-19: evidence from Italy

PurposeCovid-19 is a worldwide pandemic disease that changed the government communication to citizens about the health emergency. This study aims to provide in-depth research about regional Italian government communication through social media (SM) and its effects on citizens' engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a case analysis, focusing on the Italian context. In detail, the authors analyse the more involved Italian regions in Covid-19 pandemic (Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Tuscany) applying the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model.FindingsThe results reveal that SM is a powerful tool for communication during a health emergency and for facilitating the engagement with stakeholders. However, results also highlight a different perception about the timing of the Covid-19 crisis.Practical implicationsFindings suggest a gap between the answer of the public government compared to the citizens' needs that are clear since the first earlier stage of the pandemic event. The engagement level is very high since the first phase of the pandemic event; however, to be adequately developed, it requires specific and timing information that are not always in line with the citizens’ communication needs.Originality/valueThis is the first research that aims to study the citizens' engagement in the Italian regions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Community-Engaged Bidirectional Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication With Immigrant and Refugee Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study was conducted to assess an intervention that was created by a community-academic partnership to address COVID-19 health inequities. We evaluated a community-engaged bidirectional pandemic crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) framework with immigrant and refugee populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 17-year community-engaged research partnership adopted a CERC framework in March 2020 to address COVID-19 prevention, testing, and socioeconomic impacts with immigrant and refugee groups in southeast Minnesota. The partnership used bidirectional communication between communication leaders and their social networks to refine messages, leverage resources, and advise policy makers. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation for intervention acceptability, feasibility, reach, adaptation, and sustainability through multisource data, including email communications, work group notes, semistructured interviews, and focus groups. The intervention reached at least 39 000 people in 9 months. It was implemented as intended and perceived efficacy was high. Frequent communication between community and academic partners allowed the team to respond rapidly to concerns and facilitated connection of community members to resources. Framework implementation also led to systems and policy changes to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee populations. Community-engaged CERC is feasible and sustainable and can reduce COVID-19 disparities through shared creation and dissemination of public health messages, enhanced connection to existing resources, and incorporation of community perspectives in regional pandemic mitigation policies.

Visual infrastructures of Covid -19 messaging

Infecting more than two hundred and nineteen million people internationally as of September 2021, SARS-Cov2 (COVID-19) remains a major health crisis despite the availability of vaccines in many countries and publicized guidance on effective preventative measures (WHO, 2021). To combat the spread of the virus, governments worldwide have found themselves relying on their ability to exert control over health behaviors in public and private spaces. Visual communication, which includes both graphics and text, are an integral component of how these behavioral advisories are communicated to the public. Authorities translate scientific information into digestible designs for the public to achieve effective understanding and actionable protective measures. How are governments presenting and assessing the effectiveness of COVID-19-related information? Are there opportunities to maximize communication and develop models using existing frameworks?
 This interdisciplinary literary review pairs three models of risk and crisis communication with an information design framework to analyze COVID-19 materials shared by international governing agencies. Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) blends two popular disaster mitigation approaches to create a model that considers all stages of disaster response (Reynolds and Seeger, 2007). The Protective Action Decision Model (PADM; Lindell and Perry, 2012) and the Scenario Transition Model of Viewing and Reading (Jaenichen, 2017) highlight the importance of considering context when crafting communication to increase the likelihood of message comprehension under stressed circumstances. Design perspectives are incorporated through the semiological lens of Jacques Bertin’s research on effective visual compositions (Bertin, 1983). Graphics sampled from the websites of international governments are used to illustrate the importance of leveraging design and communication strategy when communicating about risk and crisis scenarios.

PUBLIC COMMUNICATION MODEL OF THE SIDOARJO REGENCY GOVERNMENT IN FACING THE NEW NORMAL COVID-19

Changing the policy from Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) to the “new normal” policy during the Covid-19 pandemic requires effective and targeted public communication. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and describe the implementation of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model in the public communication of the Sidoarjo Regency government during the new normal period in the Covid-19 pandemic. The method used in this research is a qualitative study, with data sources from interviews analyzed using the CERC model. The results showed that the Sidoarjo Regency government's public communication was mainly done through social media, websites, and outdoor-indoor publications in the form of banners. However, this public communication model is not by the needs of the heterogeneous Sidoarjo community, especially with the unequal distribution of media literacy. Thus, the necessary public communication is through community participation with two-way communication channels, persuasive interpersonal communication, as well as group and organizational communication, in accordance with the CERC model.

Analyzing U.S. State Governments’ COVID-19 Homepages during the Initial Lockdown in March and April 2020: Information Content and Interactivity

ABSTRACT During times of a pandemic, government emergency response webpages are an important communication channel and if properly managed, will mitigate pandemic impacts. Guided by the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) framework and web interactivity literature, this study examined the information content and interactivity of U.S. state governments’ COVID-19 homepages when many states declared stay-at-home orders in March or April of 2020. Using a web archive service, we retrieved 48 state governments’ COVID-19 homepages. Three coders coded these pages for the presence or absence of information content on five dimensions (timely updates, sensemaking information, efficacy information, targeted guidance, and anti-stigma communication) and interactivity on four dimensions (accessibility, navigability, media richness, and engagement). Results revealed that a large proportion of state governments’ COVID-19 homepages provided timely information facilitating people’s understanding of the pandemic. Yet, there were some information gaps regarding how to cope with the pandemic or its related problems, such as mental stress and social discrimination. While many COVID-19 homepages allowed easy navigation, page engagement and accessibility seemed inadequate. U.S. state governments’ COVID-19 homepages could be a good source for sensemaking. Practitioners and researchers should explore how to better harness interactive Internet technologies and present information that fosters people’s efficacy to manage through the pandemic.

Is Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication as Effective as Vaccination for Preventing Virus Diffusion? Measuring the Impacts of Failure in CERC with MERS-CoV Outbreak in South Korea.

This study measured the impacts of failure in Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) during the outbreak of a contagious Corona viral disease. The study measured the impacts by the number of individuals and hospitals exposed to the virus. The 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea was used to investigate the consequences of CERC failure, where the names of hospitals exposed to MERS‐CoV were withheld from the public during the early stage of virus diffusion. Empirical data analyses and simulated model tests were conducted. The findings of analyses and tests show that an early announcement of the hospital names and publicizing the necessary preventive measures could have reduced the rate of infection by approximately 85% and the number of contaminated healthcare facilities by 39% at maximum. This level of reduction is comparable to that of vaccination and of social distancing.

Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication: FEMA’s Twitter use during the 2017 hurricane season

Applying content and semantic network analysis research methodologies, this study examined FEMA’s national and regional Twitter account posts during the historic 2017 hurricane season and argues for the expanded use of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model in researching risk and crisis communication during natural disasters. Messaging content was compared across time between FEMA and its regional counterparts during Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Nate. Results showed FEMA provided information to affected publics and bolstered its work using various Twitter features. Differences were identified in FEMA’s national and regional accounts’ posts. From hashtags to visual elements, FEMA's tweet content changed as the season progressed: more tweets included information about the impact of the storms; more tweets shared factual information from hurricane to hurricane; and the tweets tended to use more hashtags and account tags, which should broaden their audience.

Analysis of crisis communication by the Prime Minister of Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Leadership and communication capabilities of federal leaders during crises are imperative to support and guide citizens' behaviors and emotions. The following content analysis examines crisis communication delivered by the Australian Prime Minister (PM), Scott Morrison during the COVID-19 pandemic. Communication delivered over seven months starting from the first reported case of COVID-19 in Australia, was analyzed through a process of coding to identify central organizing crisis communication frames and themes and measured against eleven main themes based on principles of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) recommended by the WHO and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Transcripts were sourced from the PM's official website and 91 communiques were analyzed. Key epidemiological indicators and public health measures were reviewed over timeframe to examine changes in communication over the pandemic. Findings indicated that PM Morrison included many features of CERC within his official messaging. Our analysis revealed that the original framework was limited in its scope to encompass certain messages and thus the allocation of new frames,‘public health and medical advice’ and ‘assuring and commending the public and institutions', allowed for a more thorough analysis of communication during a novel global health pandemic. The temporal analysis demonstrated that the government's policy and communication temporally followed case numbers and relative threat of the virus. This study has provided an in-depth review of CERC during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. New frames and themes for the current CERC framework are suggested which can be transferable to other crises in Australia and other countries.

KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF FLEXIBLE WORKING SPACE AS A NEW RORMALITY IN PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS

COVID-19 caused a health crisis that prompted the acceleration of implementing the new "new normal" paradigm at work. Employees are forced to work from home without preparation and face-to-face supervision from superiors. In this regard, the Ministry of Finance is implementing a Flexible Working Space. This study aims to analyze studies related to crisis communication, internal communication, Flexible Working Space, and their application in the Ministry of Finance. The scope of this research focuses on literature references related to crisis communication, internal communication, and Flexible Working Space in the COVID-19 pandemic conditions, which can be applied to the government sector. This research uses secondary data through literature studies related to organizational communication, Flexible Working Space, and the latest data related to COVID-19. The results show that crisis communication in the Ministry of Finance has adopted the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model, which consists of six principles: be first, be right, be credible, express empathy, promote action, and show respect. Flexible Working Space at the Ministry of Finance is one of the strategic initiatives whose implementation is accelerated due to the impact of COVID-19. Therefore, internal communication is needed regarding the application of Flexible Working Space. Besides, it is necessary to formulate policies, feasibility, availability, schedule arrangements, response speed, productivity measures, office equipment, technical support, employee layoffs, and a physical environment to support Flexible Working Space's successful implementation. Keywords: covid-19, crisis communication, flexible working space, internal communication, ministry of finance

New insights into crisis communication from an “inside” emic perspective during COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, requiring emergency management by health authorities and providers, it created flow-on crises and “crisis contagion” for organizations ranging from international airlines and tourism operators to local businesses, schools, and universities. In addition to the risks directly associated with the health emergency, many organizations were plunged into crisis because of severe restrictions to their operations and income losses. This analysis examines crisis communication in an organization faced with major financial losses, staff redundancies, and disruption. It analyses how these and necessary crisis responses were communicated to stakeholders, using situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), as its analytical framework. While noting alternative perspectives such as crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) theory, SCCT is identified as the most widely applied theory of crisis communication, and thus warrants ongoing review in an era of media fragmentation, disinformation, and low public trust. Furthermore, this analysis provides a relatively rare “inside” (emic) perspective through ethnography and autoethnography conducted by a senior decision-maker in the organization studied, which expands traditional outside (etic) perspectives and offers new insights into crisis communication.

Being First, Being Right, and Being Credible Since 2002: A Systematic Review of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Research

The crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) model is a five-stage theory that merges established public health practices with principles of crisis communication. Although CERC has been regularly applied on the ground, it has been criticized as lacking the coherence and unity necessary to serve as a framework for research. To determine the extent and type of research CERC has generated since its original presentation to the academic community 15 years ago, we conducted a systematic review of research using CERC as a theoretical lens. A total of 4,471 articles in 20 languages were screened, 400 full texts examined, and 19 articles included in the research and theory analysis, of which one tested tenets of the CERC model. We conclude that CERC has rarely been theoretically tested, and we argue that reformulation of the propositions is necessary for empirical support of the model to proceed.

A Failure to Communicate? How Public Messaging Has Strained the COVID-19 Response in the United States.

A pandemic, especially when caused by a novel virus, induces tremendous uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. To mitigate panic and encourage appropriate behavioral action, communication is critical. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) guidance is designed to assist public health authorities, government officials, and other stakeholders in using risk communication during an emergency. For each of the 6 core communication principles outlined in the CERC guidance, we describe the use or nonuse of these principles at critical points during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by US public health and government officials. With the knowledge that the pandemic will continue to rage for some time and that new communication challenges will arise, including issues related to vaccination and treatment options, many lessons are to be learned and shared. To reduce fear and uncertainty among those living in the United States, COVID-19 communication should be rapid and accurate, while building credibility and trust and showcasing empathy—all with a unified voice.

Perception survey of crisis and emergency risk communication in an acute hospital in the management of COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore

BackgroundEmergency risk communication is a critical component in emergency planning and response. It has been recognised as significant for planning for and responding to public health emergencies. While there is a growing body of guidelines and frameworks on emergency risk communication, it remains a relatively new field. There has also been limited attention on how emergency risk communication is being performed in public health organisations, such as acute hospitals, and what the associated challenges are. This article seeks to examine the perception of crisis and emergency risk communication in an acute hospital in response to COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore and to identify its associated enablers and barriers.MethodsA 13-item Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Survey, based on the US Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) CERC framework, was developed and administered to hospital staff during February 24–28, 2020. The survey also included an open-ended question to solicit feedback on areas of CERC in need of improvement. Chi-square test was used for analysis of survey data. Thematic analysis was performed on qualitative feedback.ResultsOf the 1154 participants who responded to the survey, most (94.1%) reported that regular hospital updates on COVID-19 were understandable and actionable. Many (92.5%) stated that accurate, concise and timely information helped to keep them safe. A majority (92.3%) of them were clear about the hospital’s response to the COVID-19 situation, and 79.4% of the respondents reported that the hospital had been able to understand their challenges and address their concerns. Sociodemographic characteristics, such as occupation, age, marital status, work experience, gender, and staff’s primary work location influenced the responses to hospital CERC. Local leaders within the hospital would need support to better communicate and translate hospital updates in response to COVID-19 to actionable plans for their staff. Better communication in executing resource utilization plans, expressing more empathy and care for their staff, and enhancing communication channels, such as through the use of secure text messaging rather than emails would be important.ConclusionCERC is relevant and important in the hospital setting to managing COVID-19 and should be considered concurrently with hospital emergency response domains.

Unraveling Public Health Crises Across Stages: Understanding Twitter Emotions and Message Types During the California Measles Outbreak

Social media can be used to assess public opinions and emotions during different stages of a crisis. Guided by the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model, this study examined a systematic sample of 2,881 tweets from a corpus of over one million tweets posted during the initial, maintenance, and resolution stages of the 2015 California measles outbreak. It found that the public showed the greatest interest (as measured by the number of tweets and retweets) in the initial stage of the crisis, but their interest drastically declined afterward. The expression of humor/sarcasm was significantly more frequent in the initial stage than in the maintenance or resolutions stage, while the expression of reassurance increased significantly from the initial, maintenance, and resolution stage. The emotion of alarm/concern was most frequently expressed during the initial stage. For message types, the public were more likely to tweet about their personal opinions and less likely to tweet about resources during the initial stage. These findings allow public health professionals to better design messages in response to the public’s concerns and emotions during public health crises.