Online Trust and Public Health: Communicating in a Digital World

1. Online Trust and Public Health:
Communicating in a Digital World
MONDAY, JANUARY 29
2:00-3:00 pm ET / 11:00-12:00 pm PT
This event will be recorded. The recording and slides will be available on
publichealthcollaborative.org later this week.
All attendees are automatically muted upon entry.

2. Closed Captioning and ASL
Interpretation
If you’d like to use closed captions or ASL interpretation:
Hover over the “More” button or the “Interpretation” button
on the bottom of your Zoom screen.
● Live closed captioning is being provided by AI Media.
● ASL interpretation is being provided by Keystone
Interpreting Solutions.

3. Meet Today’s Experts
Brett Morrow
Chief Communications Officer
Los Angeles County Department of
Public Health
Adrienne Ammerman
Communications Specialist
WNC Health Network
Connie Moon Sehat, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Analysis and Response Toolkit
for Trust (ARTT)
Gillian SteelFisher, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Principal Research Scientist and
Director of Global Polling
Harvard Opinion Research Program

4. Connie Moon Sehat
Hacks/Hackers
Principal Investigator
Amy X Zhang
University of Washington
Co-Principal Investigator
Franziska Roesner
University of Washington
Co-Principal Investigator
4
Considerations for Trust-Building
Communications Online
Analysis and Response Toolkit for Trust (ARTT)
PHCC Webinar, January 2024

5. A Real World Example
5

6. Trust
online?
relational
risky
repeated

7. How to respond?
What can we say? How can we say it?
7

8. What can we say? How can we say it?
Understand Inform Connect

9. What can we say? How can we say it?
Understand Inform Connect
● Empathize
● Take Perspective
● Listen

10. What can we say? How can we say it?
Understand Inform Connect
● Encourage Healthy
Inquiry
● Co-verify
● Correct

11. Inform
Correct - Alternative
Explanation
Walter, Nathan, and Riva Tukachinsky. “A
Meta-Analytic Examination of the Continued
Influence of Misinformation in the Face of
Correction: How Powerful Is It, Why Does It
Happen, and How to Stop It?” Communication
Research 47, no. 2 (March 1, 2020): 155–77.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650219854600.
Ecker, Ullrich K. H., Stephan Lewandowsky,
John Cook, Philipp Schmid, Lisa K. Fazio,
Nadia Brashier, Panayiota Kendeou, Emily
K. Vraga, and Michelle A. Amazeen. “The
Psychological Drivers of Misinformation Belief
and Its Resistance to Correction.” Nature
Reviews Psychology 1, no. 1 (January 2022):
13–29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-021-
00006-y.

12. Initial suspicions were
wrong: it is not true that the
wildfire was caused by
arson
Inform
Correct - Alternative
Explanation
*Example from Ecker et al. 2022
“The catastrophic wildfire was
caused by arson.”
— it was caused by
lightning strike.

13. What can we say? How can we say it?
Understand Inform Connect
● Share (stories)
● Invite sociability
● De-escalate

14. Correct
Encourage Healthy
Inquiry
Co-verify
Listen
Empathize
Take Perspective
● Appeal to Civility through Moral Values
● Describe Social Norms around Responsible Behavior
● Remind People to Share Accurate Information
● Warn About Reputational Costs of Sharing Rumors
ARTT Response Model
Inform
around reliable information and trustworthiness
De-escalate
Invite Sociability
Share
● Counter Rumor with True Info
● Emphasize Consensus
● Frame Your Correction Around Poster’s Values
● Use Alternative Explanations
● Use Logic-Based Arguments when Correcting
● Warn Others (“Prebunking”)
● Verify with Family and Friends
● Active Listening for POV
● Receptive Listening
● Listen for Clues About the Poster’s Identity
● Take Another Perspective in Political Conversations
● Ask What Other Sources Say
● Cite Reliable Sources
● Evaluate Source Text Quality
● Pause and Think Before Sharing
● De-escalate (through receptive listening)
● Use Humor, but Carefully
● Address Emotions
● Encourage Empathy Around Targets of Hate
Speech
Understand
Connect
July 2023
Consider No Response ● Right Intentions? Time? Audience? Frame of Mind?
artt.cs.washington.edu
● Tell First-Person Stories
● Demonstrate Care (under development)
14

15. What can we say? How can we say it?
Not
responding
● Right intentions?
● Right audience?
● Right time?
● Right frame of mind?

16. If you have questions, visit
artt.cs.washington.edu or email
artt@hackshackers.com.
Thank you!
Connie Moon Sehat
Hacks/Hackers
Principal Investigator
Amy X Zhang
University of Washington
Co-Principal Investigator
Franziska Roesner
University of Washington
Co-Principal Investigator
16

17. Community Input: Ethical Use of AI in Public Health
Communications
We want to hear from you! The ARTT Project and the National Public Health
Information Coalition (NPHIC) will host a working group throughout 2024 to develop a
set of best practices around the ethical use of AI in public-facing communications.
Share your insights, concerns, and questions by completing this poll:
https://bit.ly/ARTTAIPoll
artt.cs.washington.edu •
artt@hackshackers.com
17

18. Collaborative Health Communications
& Trust in Western NC

19. WNC Health Network is a 501(c)3 with a
28-year history of working with people and
organizations to create healthy and
thriving communities in western North
Carolina.
www.wnchn.org
WNC Health Network

20. The WNC Health Communicators Collaborative
March, 2019: WNC Health Network organized a group of local hospital and
health department-based health communicators, now known as the
WNC Health Communicators Collaborative (WNCHCC)
September, 2020: Launched a three-month regional COVID-19 health
communications campaign pilot in five WNC counties
December, 2020 - May 2022: The success of this pilot led to the launch of
our collaborative regional COVID-19 campaign, My Reason WNC
June 2022 - Present: The WNCHCC continues to meet monthly, and works
to strengthen the structure of the Collaborative
March 2023: We kick off “View From Here” - a regional campaign
addressing substance use, mental health, healthy eating/ active living,
and COVID/Flu
20
Above: WNC Health Communicators Collaborative members at
the My Reason WNC Wrap-Up Celebration, May 2022
Above: WNC Health Communicators Collaborative members at
a meeting in Madison County, 2019

21. 21
➔ Regional approach with local autonomy
➔ Local branding
➔ Social media
➔ Listening sessions
➔ Trusted local messengers
➔ Regional storytellers
➔ Shared performance measures
➔ Partner toolkit with template materials
➔ Constant learning & improvement
What we learned from our My Reason WNC COVID-19
Communications Campaign…

22. Participants
This campaign is made possible through NC Region 1 and Region 2 local health department
ARPA Workforce Development funds, with additional support from Dogwood Health Trust & the
National Council on Aging.

23. 23
#View From Here WNC

24. Source: Regional listening sessions, March 2023
Key elements for a successful
social media health campaign in WNC
Center & celebrate WNC
Use clear, relevant,
engaging, & actionable
messaging
Evoke feelings of hope,
strength, & resilience
Highlight local
personal stories
Use tailored, appealing,
and inclusive visuals
Engage community &
people with lived
experience
Address stigma
Connect audiences
with resources
#ViewFromHereWN
C

26. 26
Campaign Results
Build
Awareness
Reach as many
people as
possible within
the targeted
region with VFH
messages so
people are
familiar with the
health issue
Community trust is
built and sustained
through consistent
communication,
local branding, and
highlighting local
cultures and
trusted messengers
Offer trustworthy,
timely, culturally
appropriate,
evidence- or
practice-based,
and accessible
resources to the
community
Messaging
reduces
stigma and
supports
healthy
attitudes and
behaviors
related to
health topics
Local health
communicators
have increased
capacity to
create and
disseminate
health
communication
materials
Build
Trust
Take
Action
Inspire
Change
Create
Capacity

27. WNC TOTAL
POPULATION*: 886K
+60% 50%
of the
population
on Meta
WNC POPULATION
ON META: ~760K
Engagement: 133%
609K engagements out of the
456K reach
(people engaged multiple times with ads)
Clicks: 13%*
# of people who saw
the ad clicked on it.
(67% of these clicks were clicks to learn more)
*industry average CTR is 0.9%
Video Plays: 1.8M
456K
of the total
WNC population
Build
Awareness
Reach as many
people as possible
within the targeted
region with VFH
messages so people
are familiar with the
health issue
Reach :

28. 28
Build Trust

29. How much trust do you have in the source of
these ads?
Build
Trust
Cycle 1 Public Survey
(April & May)

30. How much trust do you have in the source of
these ads?
Build
Trust
Cycle 2 Public Survey
(August & September)

31. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Cycle 1
(April & May)
Cycle 2
(August & September)
13.3%
33.3
%
% of people who said they have A LOT of trust in the source
[public health agencies] of these ads
None C1- 13.3 %
C2- 6.1%
Build
Trust

32. Why does it
matter if people
trust us?

33. Take
Action 73%
of survey respondents reported seeking
more information because of View From
Here WNC ads.
Cycle 2 Public Survey
(August & September)

34. 46%
of survey respondents reported
changing behavior because of View
From Here WNC ads.
Inspire
Change
Cycle 2 Public Survey
(August & September)

35. 35
➔ Involve your community and listen to what they have to
say & what information they need.
➔ Align with & amplify messaging from partners.
➔ Communicate consistently.
➔ Embrace online media to reach your audience where they
get their information.
➔ Customize your communications to reflect your
organization and the communities you serve.
Key takeaways for building trust from the WNC Health
Communicators Collaborative…

36. 36
➔ We’ll measure any shifts in public trust after our current
cycle of ads, and again after our spring cycle.
➔ We’re seeking funding to continue our collaborative
regional work beyond June 2024.
➔ In the Spring we’ll start piloting the beta version of a new
platform, www.arclet.com, to explore how we can work
more sustainably & with a broader range of partners.
What’s next for our work?

37. www.wnchn.org/viewfromherewnc/
adrienne.ammerman@wnchn.org

38. Online Trust and Public Health:
Communicating in a Digital World
January 29, 2024
Brett Morrow, Chief Communications Officer

39. Online Trust and Public Health
Educate the
Public
Maintain
Transparency
Promote Public
Health Initiatives
and Programs
Achieve Maximum
Resonance
(per focus audience)
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS GOALS

40. Online Trust and Public Health
THE DENZEL WASHINGTON RULE

41. Online Trust and Public Health
EXAMPLES

42. Online Trust and Public Health
Community
Health
Workers
Town
Halls/Meetings
Health Fairs
Public Health
Center Events
BE SEEN DOING COMMUNITY
BUILDING/OUTREACH AND SHARE IT

43. Online Trust and Public Health
DON’T FEED THE TROLLS – FOCUS ON YOUR
GOALS Educate the
Public
Maintain
Transparency
Promote Public
Health Initiatives
and Programs
Achieve
Maximum
Resonance

44. Online Trust and Public Health
Surveys
IMPLEMENT A TRUE FEEDBACK MECHANISM
PUBLIC
HEALTH

45. Thank You!

46. Register for the Next
PHCC Webinar
Arts-Focused Approaches to
Public Health Communications
Thursday, February 29
12:30-2 pm ET / 9:30-11:00 am PT

47. Thank You
More Resources
www.publichealthcollaborative.org
Contact
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