Communication in times of crisis

We’re all getting a lesson in the importance of good, clear, and accurate communication in times of crisis right now, aren’t we?  Do you feel you have not been getting good information about COVID19?  Or maybe you are on overload with too much information?  Are you not sure who and what to trust? If you said yes to any of these welcome to the club.

We no longer have to wait for the nightly news to find out what is going on in the world.  We learn of major news stories as they are happening, often before there is really much to report.  It often seems the need to get something out there takes precedence over accuracy and fact-checking.

So how do we decide who to trust and how do we deal with information overload?

1.  Choose your “experts.”  Use sources you consider reliable for your information.  The World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, or appropriate agencies within your government are essential.
2.  Fact check.  Especially if something just doesn’t seem right.  Right now I’m checking pretty much everything.
3.  Limit your news coverage consumption.  Keep up on things that are important for you to know, but round the clock news during times like these is not good for anybody.
4.  If you want to share things online, pass along “good news” coverage, like stories of how people are reaching out during this time of social isolation.
5.  Realize the importance of the things you can do to protect yourself and others.  Saying that this is no more serious than the flu and going about life as usual is dangerous.  Do what you can to stop the spread of the disease.

This is far from over, so continue following the guidelines set forth by the CDC and WHO.  Don’t try to force things back to the old normal and hang in there.