6 ways to ensure your COVID-19 messaging is relevant

The only thing spreading faster than the coronavirus is “information” about the virus.

Every person connected to the internet is reporting on the pandemic, passing along an unfiltered stream of facts, rumors, anecdotes, chain letters, prayers, inducements and outright falsehoods. Some of us listen selectively and absorb information that confirms our biases, which might not be optimal, but conceivably is better than accepting everything at face value until your head explodes.

One of the challenges we face as communicators lies in finding the most effective way to communicate about risk and the uncertain future we face. Roughly 20 years ago Peter Sandman and Vince Covello collaborated on some fascinating work that examined how people view risk. Their 2001 article “Risk communication: Evolution and Revolution” is a useful read for communications professionals at this time.