What we have here is a failure to communicate

By PETER LERNER

MARCH 27, 2020 16:35

A paramedic adjusts his protective suit as he prepares outside a special polling station set up by Israel's election committee so Israelis under home-quarantine, such as those who have recently travelled back to Israel from coronavirus hot spots can vote in Israel's national election, in Ashkelon, I (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN) — A paramedic adjusts his protective suit as he prepares outside a special polling station set up by Israel's election committee so Israelis under home-quarantine, such as those who have recently travelled back to Israel from coronavirus hot spots can vote in Israel's national election, in Ashkelon, I

(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

Israel, despite all of its battle experience, from wars to the Mount Carmel Forest Fire, was clearly unprepared for coronavirus.

Israel's public diplomacy is a crisis within a crisis. The breakout of COVID-19 caught the entire establishment unprepared, understaffed and ill-equipped to communicate with clarity what is happening, what the population must do, what our elected leaders are doing to steer the country to safe and healthy shores.

The nature of communicating in our hyper-connected world is central to keeping people up to speed. In a crisis, people look to their leaders for the answers. In recent weeks, the government, experienced in fast-paced, attention-grabbing emergencies, is finding it impossible to deliver a clear, concise, and coherent message of assurance.

What we have seen is senior officials in the Health Ministry use scare tactics to keep us at home. We’ve seen politicians from the prime minister, health minister, defense minister, and finance minister giving op-ed statements on live broadcasts, generally dodging questions.

The communicating crisis in the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be in complete chaos. What is missing? Preparedness is critical for crisis communication. Preparedness places processes in place prior to the crisis. Preparedness determines who makes decisions when there is an internal conflict. Preparedness allocates resources for crisis management. Preparedness is necessary to mitigate the element of surprise. The Health and Finance ministries have clearly never agreed on how to manage a health crisis and its economic consequences.

Israel, despite all of its battle experience, from wars to the Mount Carmel Forest Fire, was clearly unprepared.

The National Information Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office, established in the aftermath of the Second Lebanon War, is the national instrument for coordinating communications and getting everybody on the same page. Over the last year, the directorate’s leadership has retired or left, and the leadership void is the price of the communication chaos we are experiencing.

This directorate operated at its finest during the Gaza war of 2014. With daily conference calls, coordinated messaging, tasking government bodies like the Foreign Ministry, IDF, and Government Press Office with media operations, and sharing information to iron out the differences.

The official information flow to the public must be managed and delivered by a spokesperson with gravitas, trust and reliability. We don't need sporadic, unprofessional speakers, uncoordinated ministers, politicians, and civil servants that all have different interests, political aspirations and concerns of what happens to their career once COVID-19 passes.

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The spokesperson, according to studies preferably a spokeswoman, must have professional credibility and can convey a tone of human compassion. Do we need more hyperbole delivered by old men in suits?

The designated spokesperson must provide clarity in times of uncertainty, not more medical, and financial uncertainty. We want to know how to act and how our leaders are making and are going to make sure we aren't dragged into poverty because of the necessary steps.

The concerted effort must work simultaneously on multiple media fronts, according to an operational, news cycle-based timetable. The means and methods of message delivery are vast and include press releases, white papers, background briefings, interviews, conference calls and an extensive social media campaign.

The unfolding events drive the news cycle, and they must be managed. Delivery of bad news is always difficult but must be conveyed by people, not apps. For example, the fifth victim of the virus was just another number on the Health Ministry’s morning update.

Social media is now the driver of breaking news. Institutional silence is not an option; if you don't participate extensively, you aren't putting obstacles in the way of rumors and fake news, you aren’t giving any ammunition to your sympathizers. The virality of bad news is emotionally appealing, it is relatable, and it has dramatic visuals. If you aren’t on the playing field, then you are irrelevant.

Social media must be utilized to engage with the public. Not only as a distribution tool. Apps that send push notifications or gather information from our mobile phones do not reassure us that the people that are at the helm are in control.

The media beast must always be fed. Otherwise, it hunts for the story, professional failures, and internal conflicts. This and talking heads is what we've experienced since the crisis commenced.

Finally, the communication effort must continuously be monitored and evaluated to check that your messages are being received, to adjust your tone, to see who is the best communicator and who, under no circumstances, does the government need to communicate on its behalf.

Now, we need a core message and media strategy on each professional level. A message that ultimately says we were prepared, we are in control, we have the tools, we are making adjustments to our plan, so that when this is finally over, we will be able to sing with pride “Am Yisrael Chai.”

The writer, a lieutenant-colonel (res.), is the director-general of international relations of the Histadrut labor federation and a former IDF spokesperson.