Toward effective government communication strategies in the era of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact varied significantly across countries, with some experiencing relatively successful initial responses in suppressing virus transmission. Australia's early success, compared to the United States and the United Kingdom, is attributed to several factors, including swift and decisive governmental intervention at all levels and strong concordance between public health advice and leadership actions. The authors aim to inform the literature by drawing on applied risk communication, cognitive and social psychology, sociology, and public policy to guide pandemic communication strategies, emphasizing that effective communication is an interactive process involving information exchange and ongoing community engagement. The study acknowledges challenges posed by contested knowledge, values, and perspectives in policymaking, particularly in rapidly changing situations with patchy evidence. It argues that effective communication and leadership are crucial for pandemic management, facilitating trust, confidence, and compliance. The authors emphasize the influence of cultural and social identities, age, gender, and resource access on people's engagement with public health information, as well as the complexities introduced by the proliferation of online information and the spread of misinformation.

The paper reviews existing literature from risk communication, cognitive and social psychology, sociology, and public policy to establish foundations for effective pandemic communication. It highlights the importance of public trust, transparency, and civic engagement in fostering cooperation and compliance with pandemic management measures. The authors discuss the limitations of the ‘deficit model’ in communication research, which views communication as a one-way process of educating the public. Instead, they advocate for a two-way process that considers diverse perspectives and community expertise.

The study uses a qualitative methodology. The authors draw on their combined disciplinary expertise and a synthesis of the relevant literature, including their work on a COVID-19 Pandemic Roadmap report. Their analysis highlights how communication strategies can build trust and facilitate compliance, while acknowledging the interdependencies between message development, delivery, and the specific strategies chosen. The paper does not encompass a comprehensive review of the entire body of literature but focuses on key insights from multiple disciplines to inform recommendations.

The paper's central argument is that effective public health crisis communication is a two-way interactive process. Public trust is identified as a critical resource for achieving public cooperation and sustaining necessary behaviors for pandemic management. The ten recommendations for effective pandemic communication are: 1. Engage in clear communication; 2. Strive for maximum credibility; 3. Communicate with empathy; 4. Communicate with openness, frankness, and honesty; 5. Recognize that uncertainty is inevitable; 6. Account for levels of health literacy and numeracy across populations; 7. Empower people to act; 8. Appeal to social norms; 9. Consider diverse community needs; 10. Be proactive in combating misinformation. The study emphasizes the importance of transparency in decision-making, civic engagement to identify shared values, and the need to address different communication styles and information-sharing methods across diverse communities. The role of social media in disseminating information and misinformation is highlighted, underscoring the importance of proactive measures to combat false narratives. The authors also discuss the challenges of using emerging digital tools, such as contact tracing apps, acknowledging the need for careful communication to maintain public trust and address concerns about privacy and unintended consequences.

The ten recommendations presented in the paper directly address the research question concerning effective communication strategies for managing pandemics. The significance of the results lies in their potential to guide policymakers and communicators in developing more effective strategies for public health crises. The emphasis on transparency, civic engagement, and diverse community considerations underscores the importance of a holistic, inclusive approach to crisis communication. The recommendations' relevance to the field lies in their multi-disciplinary basis, drawing from risk communication, psychology, sociology, and policy studies. The findings contribute to the understanding of how to foster trust and enhance compliance with public health measures.

The paper offers ten evidence-informed recommendations for effective pandemic communication, emphasizing the importance of public trust, transparency, civic engagement, and consideration of diverse community needs. The authors highlight the limitations of a one-way communication model and the need for ongoing engagement with diverse communities. Future research should focus on empirically testing the effectiveness of these recommendations in various contexts and exploring ways to address challenges such as misinformation and the use of digital technologies.

The authors acknowledge that their recommendations are not based on a systematic literature review but rather on their combined expertise and a synthesis of relevant literature. This limits the generalizability of the findings to some extent. Additionally, the recommendations are principles-based and may need adjustments depending on specific contexts and societal values. The study does not delve into the quantitative measurement of the effectiveness of specific communication approaches.