Messaging Failures of the Pandemic
because the public has access to the same information. Therefore, public health experts must not exaggerate or over promise, but rather tell the truth and be transparent; admit mistakes and move forward. Operate like this—such as communicating how and why science evolves— so the American people will forgive mistakes and accept changes in policies and protocols. Simply, trust the American people and by ERIC D. HARGAN they will trust you back. Calls by individuals for censorship or the demonization As we grapple with the continuing problems stemming from COVID-19 and the lockdowns, we must also face a of scientific or political opponents do not reflect confidence wider issue: the failures of communication that have plagued in their positions. We must recognize that democratization of information has led to widespread divergences of attitudes, the response. Americans have lost trust in our public health officials – beliefs, policies, and even factual predicates regarding the with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pandemic. It’s understandable that such divergence has taking the brunt of the nation’s anger. It’s understandable why produced anxiety among authorities. Daniel Patrick Moynihan Americans feel angry – the public health community at large has put it best, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are offered the public constantly changing information and advice not entitled to your own facts.” And the authorities believe they are acting on facts, and on topics vital to Americans’ in everyone’s best interests. lives: getting back to normal, However, often what the experts masking, boosters, quarantines, thought was ‘the science’ just and social distancing. It’s been 6 months earlier has shifted. such an avalanche of confusion These changes in scientific that the phrase ‘the CDC understanding happen all the recommends’ has become an time, but these changes in the internet meme – a joke. facts and consensus should pull This mockery bodes everyone toward humility. The ill for America’s ability to best course of action is to rely best promote the future of on empathy and evidence over medical progress, not just to partisanship and intimidation. react to health emergencies or The CDC and the public pandemics, but also to advance Eric D. Hargan health community generally innovations like telehealth and will recover their reputation artificial intelligence and help and trust over time by lead to new modalities of care. Public health experts must not returning to their true roles as America’s health care exaggerate or over promise, scientists and doctors, and by future depends on robust publicbut rather tell the truth and be exiting the political theater private sector partnerships, that they were pushed into by like Operation Warp Speed, transparent; admit mistakes an unprecedented pandemic. where government works and move forward. Those who have entered into with our nation’s innovators politics should drop it, leave to find new cures and medical the politics to the politicians breakthroughs. A trusted public health community, and especially the CDC, is a prerequisite and get back to even-handed, principled medicine and science. to such a future. However, the enduring lack of normalcy and And as we enter into the process of learning (and in many cases the endless state of emergency continue to erode the American re-learning) the lessons of the pandemic, we must understand people’s trust in the public health community’s competence to that an information-savvy public will be watching and judging. This is not a bad thing, and it should elevate and inspire the get us through COVID or, indeed, do anything in the future. The public health community can rebuild its reputation public health community. If it does, it will recover trust and and gain back the trust of the American people, but it must regain the useful and, indeed, necessary role it has occupied in RF recognize that its communication problems stem, partly, from Americans’ lives. the inherent democratization of information and knowledgesharing. People can do their own research now, and they Eric D. Hargan served as the Deputy Secretary of the evaluate the data and recommendations in a far different way Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 2017 than they used to. The information revolution has transformed to 2021, as well as Acting Secretary in 2017-2018. He is the how Americans receive, understand, and trust the experts Founder and CEO of The Hargan Group. RIPON FORUM February 2022
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