PS&L Blog

Most colleges and universities that we deal with have a plan in the event of a flu or meningitis outbreak. Most err on the side of safety. They also try to balance caution with reality so they don’t cause undue fear or unnecessary hysteria on the one hand and casual neglect on the other.

The best communications policy for the student body and the public at large is providing factual information that can be easily found. Rather than letting the local or regional media set the tone and alarm, make sure people can access objective information from reliable sources like the Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/. Establish a crisis plan for your staff and make sure that those in the front lines send out a consistent and agreed upon message. The worst thing that can happen is for false rumors to get out of hand, because then you have a trust issue to deal with in addition to everything else. Without a comprehensive communications plan, there is always the chance that rumors could turn viral and people could start thinking the above comic strip could really happen – and that’s not funny.