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There& #39;s so many lessons we can learn about communicating statistics & policy to the public in this covid& #39;19 outbreak. I should start making a list properly but for now, here& #39;s some. This thread is about the UK. Interested in your views on these too.
1. When asked to explain the stats and policy arising, don& #39;t just keep saying you& #39;re following science and give no details. (Matt Hancock, early on). People will start to think you& #39;re being deceitful, and it gets obvious that you don& #39;t understand it yourself.
2. Your audience are diverse. Some don& #39;t speak English as a 1st language. Don& #39;t use archaic language, or almost any metaphor, or start quoting Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. (Boris Johnson every time, but others too). Set aside pride and speak plainly.
3a. Have clear guidance for the public & public services, with a core objective (2m distance outside the & #39;household& #39;). Be clear that any other guidance is just a proxy for this core objective (e.g. don& #39;t drive then have a country walk). (everyone, all the time)
3b. Explicitly link this core objective to the stats. Explain how it is expected to impact the stats.
4a. Don& #39;t drip-feed policy, or people will get anxious about what& #39;s coming each day. Tell them what the time scale is & acknowledge uncertainty. (that 1st disastrous week of daily briefings & threats, led by Boris Johnson, but also more recent hot takes on lockdown timescale)
4b. DO say when you& #39;ll release policy, spend time getting it worked out in detail, then do it thoroughly when you say you& #39;re going to. (Rishi Sunak; well played)
5. Understand that the public will sometimes conflate scientific guidance with moral guidance (e.g. whether toys may be purchased; Michael Gove was quite clear and direct in answering these)
6. Have a set of terms and definitions, and make everyone stick to them (e.g. various terms for the two tests). Tell PR people that their job is now to sound repetitive. Fire anyone who freestyles it to vary the wording. Put those terms online immediately.
7. Remember that not everyone uses the internet, and not everyone uses a smartphone.
8. When asked for numbers about how the policy is working, either give the numbers or promise to get them shared later. Don& #39;t just say "massively" and think that& #39;s done the trick. It works when people trust you, and you only hear from people who trust you.
8a. In short, when you start quantitative communication, keep it quantitative.
