#INTERVIEW: Crisis Communication During COVID19 -- an Interview with Carole Obure, University of Nairobi

eNCA TV Interview 

 1. What is the role of communicators?

The role of communicators goes beyond communicating. Their roles include story-telling; turning complex arguments and ideas into simple and digestible ones. In a crisis like this, communicators are the unacknowledged front liners – in the sense that they effectively unpack information from the technical team- Researchers/ Epidemiologists / Doctors and other cadres of medical specialists into practicable, edible and digestible information for the consumption of the public. They need to advance views that are not their own in ways that are objective and touch the core of the issue.

2. What has been your assessment on how governments on the continent have communicated about the pandemic?

Governments have largely performed well in handling Communication around the pandemic. While everyone was caught flat-footed, those that have performed better have trodden the fine line between rule of law, human rights and freedoms. 

Freedoms remain critical in this conversation given how governments have been compelled to virtually shut down economies and mete out draconian rules and regulations onto the population (physical distancing protocols; ban on social gathering; enforcement of face-masks; closure of borders,etc) so as to save them from the virus. 

Ordinarily, some of these measures would have been those adopted by authoritarian government's intent on curbing freedoms. The pandemic has not just created a new normal but upturned normality and stretched it to its limit where ordinary citizens are even calling for enforcement of draconian measures just to save ourselves.

However, it's time to change the Narrative without distorting the message. It`s time to shift the Covid 19 communication strategy from FEAR of Corona virus to Understanding the disease.

There are certain realities about Covid 19 that will have to be accepted eg.

WHO Emergencies Director Michael Ryan says COVID-19 may become an endemic virus; (Coronavirus may never go away) therefore there is need to come to terms with it.

• 99% of the people infected with the Corona virus are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Many will never know they had it.

• By concentrating on the sick or the dead, we are concentrating on the thinnest layers of the epidemic which is the reason I said we need to shift the communication strategy without distorting the message.

• The risk of death is 0.1% 

• Whatever measures taken, people will get infected, and those vulnerable will die, so best to take actions to protect the vulnerable.

By changing the communication strategy, we will be eradicating fear and planting understanding in the general public .A look at the statistics reveals that there will definitely be a switch to new normal  and the process has to start now .We just can't totally freeze the economy with extended durations of strict Coronavirus restrictions e.g. lockdowns. If we did that, we will be doing more harm to individuals, families and communities than Corona could ever do. 

We also can't proceed with life as was usual and ignore all precautions; the price to pay would be too high. So we need a middle ground. For the debate to move to acceptance of this middle ground, the public needs to UNDERSTAND Corona more than they FEAR it. Fear does not stop death, it stops life.

3. This is obviously a fluid and uncertain circumstance, what are the basics of crisis communication and would this crisis be any different?

 

There are levels of crises. A pandemic is a different kind of crisis that calls for sober heads to do more introspection and reflection on messaging.

Crisis communication operates from assumption that an emergency compels one to draw up a plan to deal with that emergency in a manner that is.as quick and short-term as possible.

What COVID19 has shown is that crisis communication needs to be beefed up considerably so that there is a level of uniformity of messaging in the long-term. The emergence of fake news has challenged the work of crisis communicators who need to be regularly verifying the messaging on what can be done to keep one safe from the virus.

4. You turn on any medium, you're likely to hear the words anxiety inducing, uncertain times etc. What roles do us as journalists in this communication ecosystem in quelling negativity?

 Quelling negativity is an interesting and important turn of the phrase. As Frontlines in the war against fake news on how to fight the virus, journalists have a responsibility to use messaging that assuages calms and assures populations that it is possible to beat this pandemic by observing protocols governments have put out for citizens to follow.

 Quelling negativity includes journalists using messaging that is specific to the pandemic and not extraneous to it .It is so important journalists are clear, concise and consistent in their messaging as practicably as possible.

Finally, look for opportunity and positivity -If there are positive things you can share to inspire hope, play your part in lifting the mood and reassure others.

ENDs