The Pandemic and Public Service Announcements: It'll Take More than Smokey the Bear

As if any proof is needed about their value the PSAs delivering dos and don39ts amidst the current pandemic make a powerful case Which pitches will find their niche in the national memory remains to be seen But like their predecessors their messages reflect a long and successful tradition of coining slogans as teaching points Unfortunately facing the 21st Century challenge of COVID19 oldfashioned PSAs simply aren39t enoughIt39s not because of the novelty of a novel virus The news media has dug into their inventory of historical parallels to explain the countrywide crisis and its allegedly unprecedented effects But the coronavirus isn39t the first lethal American pandemic or even the worst In 19181919 the Spanish Flu brought 675000 deaths other 20th Century virusesamp8212the Asian and Avian flus for instanceamp8212produced sixfigure fatalities as wellWhat39s different about COVID19 is its political toll In addition to the negligence of the White House incumbent whose incompetence is on daily display the virus has revealed the fault lines in how the country prepares for the worst They39re no secret a woefully underfunded public health system balkanized federal agencies ill organized to lead their statelevel counterparts multibilliondollar hospitals without the redundancy to handle a local contagion of the runs much less a lethal pandemicThat39s why public service announcements in 2020 have to do much more than rally attention or however catchy their scripts sloganeer to build national morale The messages need to make clear what people must do for themselves as well as to confront the country39s shared challenge The information isn39t hard to find Like Sherlock Holmes39 dog that didn39t bark what Americans need to know is hidden in plain sight The state of public health is a case in pointAt 26 percent of all US health care outlays public health spending on wellness prevention and preparedness has declined 25 percent since 2002 The slide inexplicably has occurred as national security as well as health officials have warned repeatedly about the growing danger of just the sort of pandemic crippling the country todayThe erosion isn39t over A study four years ago in the American Journal of Public Health projected spending will fall further by 2023The shrinking figures couldn39t be more relevant to the headlines today The diminishing budgets include federal funding for epidemiological surveillance and immunizations as the study put it are quotunderminingamp8230responses to new health threatsquot For American families the public service message is obvious The scriptwriters could plagiarize the punchline from Smokey the Bear only you can take care of yourself The underinvestment in public health combined with today39s news stories drive home the point If the worst happens don39t expect federal or state authorities to helpAmericans also need to hear about more than handwashing in a pandemic To be sure that39s important But the crisis also spotlights the dangers produced by their chronic conditions that the pandemic tragically has put on display Avoiding obesity diabetes and heart disease is more than healthful in 2020 it39s literally lifesaving The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on African Americans as well as other medically underserved populations with such underlying conditions underscores why the time for such messages is nowThe economy39s shutdown represents another Sherlock Holmes moment The news media of course are recounting daily the furloughs and firings as well as the scramble for credit lines and the creative financing major corporations are using to weather the storm For small businesses that represent almost half the US economy the stories are even more devastating According to a US Chamber of Commerce special report this month oneinfour small businesses are temporarily closed As for the rest 40 percent say they expect to be within two weeksWhatever the ultimate economic casualty toll it39s not too early to create PSAs to help companies and communities get back and stay on their feet The effort needs to be more than morale boosting If the history of natural disasters and their aftermath is any guide the message is straightforward The experiences in cities and towns that have recovered from hurricanes or floods makes clear that communities can build in resilience as they revive PSAs are a way to advertise that idea and how to make it happenBusinessesgovernment cooperation for example is crucial Local publicprivate partnerships can identify needs and prioritiesamp8212from changing ordinances to temporary tax reliefamp8212to help Main Street restart As for the public sector governors on the East and West coasts are already showing the way working together on the criteria to guide reopening their states39 economies What they plan provides a message for cities counties and towns across the country PSAs can educate citizens as well as officials by providing links to follow to find the detailsBusinesses have no less a need for information on what to do in the months ahead In fact the Trump administration39s massive national failings carry grass roots lessons Cooperation to monitor the pandemic39s local progress collaboration in procuring protective gear for employees as businesses reopen and the need to stockpile vital gear for future sharing all are examples of what communities must be able to do for themselvesThese tasks and others will require citizen support and especially local companies large and small at the table PSAs can help enlighten them about the opportunity and get them thereClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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The Pandemic and Public Service Announcements: It'll Take More than Smokey the Bear

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Kent M. Harrington

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