# Presentation: 367806

## CDC and Bioterrorism :  
Anthrax Response
A Communications Perspective

**Anthrax Response**
***A Communications Perspective***

- Kay Sessions Golan
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Office of the Director
- Director, Division of Media Relations(1997-2002)
- September, 2002

## CDC Overview

*** *****National Public Health Agency*****      ******	*****8,500**** employees in 170 disciplines**
** ****Best known for “****Disease Detectives****”**
** ****Atlanta ****National HQ **
** ****CDC includes 12 Centers, Institutes ****	****and Offices**
** ****$4 Billion**** budget**

## CDC

**CDC**
**Media Relations**
**Public Health in the News**

**Notes:**
Science is a work-in-progress, where the end of the story ... may just be the beginning.  

Science is constantly changing, therefore, it has many gray areas, it is a complex subject.

Our job is help scientists explain the complexities of their work in understandable terms and to help journalists sort through the complexities of science and report these responsibly.

## Communication Industry Today

- 2,901 broadcast TV stations
- 2,278 daily newspapers
- 12,687 magazines
- 109,574,429 web sites (01/01)
-        (17,000 health-related sites)
- CDC in the news:
-        **2001 – 17,205****     **
**  ****1990  -   6,330**
**)**

**Notes:**
We directly experience this message barrage in the Office of Communication.  Health in general is receiving more media attention than ever before. 
According to a search of the Lexis-Nexis database, CDC was mentioned by name over 17,538 in 1998, 11,529 times in 1995 - up from 6,000 in 1990.  As of Oct. 1999 CDC mentioned 14,776.
Calls to our press office increased from around 8,000 in 1989 to over 20,000 in the last three years.

## The World Changes

**Tragic Event Activates**
**Emergency Response**
**Systems **
**Communication**
**Centralized**
**CDC Responds**

**The World Changes**

## 10/4/01 World Changes Again

**10/4/01 World Changes Again**

## And it only got more             complicated from here...

**And it only got more             complicated from here...**
**A multi-state investigation intensified**

## Adapting to a Crisis: Stick to the Basics

** ****Timely and Accurate Release of      ****	****Information **
** ****Media Response**
** ****Issues Management **
** ****Promotion**

## Release of InformationMulti-Channel

-  Press Releases - Two daily updates
-  Daily Telebriefings
-  Audio News Release – English and Spanish
-  VNR, Bites and B-roll – Broadcast and Web
-  MAT Article
-  Individual Interviews, Field Press Conferences
-  Professional Satellite Trainings

**Notes:**
Chart the course and take action

Examples:  vaccine safety, influenza, cigar smoking, folic acid,  food safety issues, occupational use of  latex gloves

NPHIC

Talking Points

Q & As

## Surge Capacity

**Surge Capacity**
**350 Press Calls Per Day**

** **Shift Press Officers to Media Response;                                                     	12/7 to 24/7
-  Deploy Press Officers with Investigation 	Teams
-  Create Teams - Expanded Work 	Hours/Schedules

## CDC - By the Numbers

**October 1, 2001 – January 19, 2002**

| Phone press briefings | Press Releases | Press calls | Print media mentions | Broadcast interviews aired |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 23 (1,909 journalists) | 44 | 7,737 | 12,454 | 306 |

-  10/18/01 VNR - aired 923 times, 50 M audience
-  12/13/01 VNR - aired 216 times, 34 M audience
-  3 ANRs replayed 1,359 times reaching 10.7 M
-  CDC PHTN  hosted 10 programs reaching 10.3 M
-  CDC responded to 18,000 public inquiries

## Lessons Learned

**Communication: Integral part of response across CDC – various audiences**
-  Get News Out Quickly: Don’t Speculate
-  Timelines: Accuracy
-  Trusted Spokespersons
-  Stay in your Niche
-  Daily Updates Essential

## RISK   COMMUNICATION

- Don’t over reassure
- Acknowledge uncertainty
- Emphasize the process and next steps
- Give anticipatory guidance
- Be regretful, not defensive
- Acknowledge people’s fears
- Express through “wishes”
- Give people things to do

## Take Away Tips

**Stay Calm – Set the Tone**
**Rotate Staff**
**Rotate Leadership (hardest to do)**
**Don’t Take it Personally**
**Let it Go**
**Be Flexible**
**Ask for help**

**Notes:**
Mixed Message?  Promote public health and good public health messages in the media; be proactive; but represent the agency, speak with one voice, put it in context, get it cleared etc.

Interviews
Press releases
press events
partnerships
HHS

## FOODBORNE OUTBREAK

- Communicate what you know for sure
- Transmission:  Food only?  Person to person ?
- Communicate Next Steps - process
- Communicate about your niche only
- Group Telebriefings
- Point to others web sites
- Investigation findings will always precede regulatory decisions

## A Balancing Act

- Meeting the Needs of the Media

- Timely and Accurate Release of Information

## Thinking Globally -- Working Locally

**Thinking Globally -- Working Locally**

**A Conference on Food Safety Education**