UNC professor says social distancing messages need to be tailored as outbreak proceeds

EXPERTS DISCUSSING THE PROS AND

CONS AND WHEN AND HOW TO REOPEN

THE ECONOMY.

AND TO PUT THE NUMBERS INTO

PERSPECTIVE WE'LL SHOW YOU THE

AVERAGE WHICH CAN HELP

DETERMINE THE CURVE.

IT GOES UP AND DOWN A LITTLE

BUT IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY

SHOW A PEAK OR A CONTINUOUS

DOWNWARD SPIRAL YET.

THERE'S A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS

COMMITTED TO STUDYING OUR

STATE.

AND THE LEADER IS AN ASSISTANT

PROFESSOR AT UNC SCHOOL OF

JOURNALISM.

THANKS FOR TALKING WITH US

TONIGHT.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHAT

YOUR GROUP IS AND WHAT YOU'RE

TASKED WITH?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

OUR GROUP HERE AT UNC IS A

GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS AS YOU

MENTIONED.

AND JOURNALISM AND MEDIA.

AND SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND WE ARE

TRYING TO TO DO OUR PART.

OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES IN NORTH

CAROLINA WAS LOOKING FOR

EVIDENCE BASED COMMUNICATION

AND WE WANT TO DO OUR PART TO

SUPPLY THAT.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO BETTER

UNDERSTAND WHAT NORTH

CAROLINIANS THINK ABOUT SOCIAL

DISTANCING AND WE CAN GIVE

MESSAGES THAT ARE HELPFUL.

>> HELP US UNDERSTAND BECAUSE

WE HEAR A LOT OF DATA AND

MODELS COMING IN ALMOST WEEKLY.

AND CHANGING BASED ON WHAT WE

ARE AND ARE NOT DOING.

HOW DOES YOUR GROUP USE THE

INFORMATION AND HOW DO YOU

TRANSLATE IT?

>> WE, LIKE YOU ARE ALSO

LOOKING AT THE MODELS AND

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE

THE KEY BEHAVIORS?

WE'RE LOOKING TO THE EXPERTS IN

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH

BEHAVIOR AND THEY'RE GIVING US

KEY INSIGHTS AND WE LOOK AT

THIS WEEKLY.

WHAT WOULD BE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS

NOW AND WE TRY TO CREATE

MESSAGES THAT CONVEY THAT.

[ INAUDIBLE ] DO THEY WANT TO

HEAR TASKS FOR THINGS TO AVOID.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP

THAT AND ASK PEOPLE OF NORTH

CAROLINA WHAT DO YOU THINK IS

THE MOST HELPFUL?

>> AND DOCTOR, THIS INFORMATION

IS COMING IN SO QUICKLY, WHAT

MAKES IT THE MOST CHALLENGING?

>> I THINK OUR BIGGEST

CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE

KEY BEHAVIORS ARE CHANGING.

SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE

CHANGES.

THAT'S VERY CONFUSING TO US IN

NORTH CAROLINA AND IT MAKES IT

DIFFICULT TO HAVE A CONSISTENT

MESSAGE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO

STAY HOME.

AND WE NEED TO HAVE CAVEATS AND

CUSTOMIZE OUR MESSAGE SO WE

DON'T BLAME OR SHAME FOR

BEHAVIORS.

>> YOU TEACH STUDENTS AT UNC.

TEACHING THEM ONLINE NOW.

HAS THE JOURNALISM SCHOOL BEEN

ABLE TO INVOLVE THE STUDENTS IN

THE PROCESS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE HAVE STUDENTS HELPING US

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

WE HAVE STUDENTS ANALYZING

DATA.

CRAFTING MESSAGES BOTH WITH THE

TEXT AND VISUAL.

AND WE HAVE A GROUP OF

UNDERGRADUATE AND MASTERS

STUDENTS INVOLVED THROUGHOUT

THE PROCESS AND IT'S A JOY TO

WORK WITH THE SCHOOL AND OTHER

DEPARTMENTS WITH THIS PROJECT.

>> DO US A FAVOR.

TELL THEM TO KEF UP THE BEST

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

>> ONE OF THE BEST ON THE