E4.01 - Skill-Building Intensive: Combating Public Health Misinformation Through Strategic Storytelling

Brief Abstract Summary: Inspired by the book, "Talking Health: A New Way to Communicate about Public Health," the de Beaumont Foundation’s in-person health communications workshop (“Talking Health”) offers participants space for collaborative learning, group discussion, & practice. This session will consist of one module from the full-day training: strategic storytelling as a public health communications practice. Our best strategies for combating misinformation over the long-term are connected to strengthening our overall communication. Participants will learn communications basics & storytelling principles. Participants will also gain tools & resources to address their specific communications challenges, as well as ways to identify & motivate their diverse audiences. Participants will leave the session with their public health communications challenge, communications goal, & target audience(s) identified, call to action draft, & resources to continue working on their messages to combat misinformation.

Detailed abstract description: Although public health practitioners may not view themselves as communicators, they consistently & regularly communicate about public health with the public, policymakers, governmental agencies, & multi-sector partners. This lack of knowledge, skills, & practice creates communications challenges, which in turn can erode trust & understanding of public health among partners & prevent public health interventions from being as effective as possible. When people can't follow or aren't compelled by the information & messages they receive from public health institutions, they are more likely to turn to other sources of information, including sources of misinformation.

Inspired by the book, "Talking Health: A New Way to Communicate about Public Health," the de Beaumont Foundation’s in-person health communications workshop (“Talking Health”) offers participants space for collaborative learning, group discussion, & practice. The Talking Health training supports public health professionals in collaborating across sectors & working with community members to improve health by improving their communication skills. Our best strategies for combating misinformation over the long-term are connected to strengthening our overall communication -- so that what we offer as a field is as compelling & trusted as the misinformation that so widely circulates now.

This session will consist of one module from the full-day training: strategic storytelling as a public health communications practice. This session will provide an overview of communications basics & storytelling (messaging) principles, all geared towards public health professionals who are novices in communications work. Some of the content includes information on avoiding jargon & instead using vivid language, public health storytelling components, & effective calls to action.

The session will be interactive, allowing participants to practice what they’re learning. Presenters will facilitate individual reflections & a group activity to give participants the opportunity to apply what they’re learning to their own work against misinformation. In the self-reflection component, participants will identify their public health communications challenge, communications goal, & their target audience(s). In the group activity, participants will work on “calls to action” to support their communications goals & will collectively share & discuss their efforts.

Participants will leave with new insights & tools to use in their practice, including their public health communications challenge, communications goal, target audience(s) identified, call to action draft, & resources to continue working on their messages. Participants will also be given a booklet with resources, templates & prompts to support their work. As a result, the session will serve as a springboard for participants in their continued public health communications work against on-going misinformation.