Digital Policy Rounds: Health Communications

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential role of communication in promoting public health. Public health officials, medical practitioners, health journalists, and civil society groups have shown impressive dedication and innovation in getting health messages to different communities. At the same time, during the pandemic we have seen huge quantities of false and deceptive information, along with a polarization around public health measures that has left many communities distrustful of health officials and/or each other. The result is poorer health outcomes and fractured politics. Policymakers around the world have struggled to identify communication strategies that can address these and other challenges in an online ecosystem dominated by social media platforms. They are also exploring regulatory approaches to address some of the obstacles and harms that this ecosystem amplifies. To discuss these issues, this event brings together digital media experts with public health communicators