Will enough of us get a shot to create herd immunity? That depends partly on media messages; here's some advice

Shutterstock illustration via American Medical Association

By Al Cross
Director, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, University of Kentucky

We're about to get all the coronavirus vaccine we need. Will enough of us take it for herd immunity? Or will the politics of the pandemic, atop already widespread skepticism about vaccines, thwart that?

The answers to those questions will depend partly on local news media, the most trusted part of the news business, especially in rural areas, where vaccine hesitancy may be greater. Journalism to address vaccine hesitancy is tricky, Aspen Digital Executive Director Vivian Schiller writes for Columbia Journalism Review, after discussing it with many experts.

They came up with 10 things to do, which I've boiled down to five major points for rural journalists:

Address the unfounded public concern that the speedy development of vaccines means they’re not safe. "Operation Warp Speed" wasn't the best name for a process that used technology that had already been developed and was waiting for a big funding stream, Schiller writes: "Decades of research informed the development of these breakthrough gene-based vaccines, which have been shown to be remarkably effective, and come with comparatively low levels of risk." Also, the vaccines' different efficacy rates aren't exactly comparable, and even less so when it comes to mutated strains, and "Overemphasizing the rare instances of adverse reaction undermines trust," she writes.

Vaccine hesitancy is normal and natural. "Respond with compassion and information," Schiller advises. "After a year of mixed messages — many of which came from the highest levels of government and were amplified through social media — it’s entirely reasonable for people to have legitimate questions and concerns . . . The key is to debunk claims without repeating them. Also: Don’t conflate “vaccine hesitancy” with “anti-vaxxers,” she writes. "One is a reasonable emotion; the other is a harmful ideology."

Leverage trusted, local voices. "All news outlets should consider voices beyond national public health experts who can build trust and acceptance of the vaccine, such as clergy members, veteran groups, service clubs, and other community leaders," Schiller advises. "Varying your sources of reliable information can be more persuasive for wary populations. Building vaccine trust with audiences means trying and sharing new ways to engage."

Don’t accidentally undersell vaccine effectiveness. Warnings "that vaccinated individuals shouldn’t alter their pandemic routines — social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding indoor spaces — may inadvertently encourage vaccine hesitancy, as the advice appears to conflict with the benefits touted around the vaccine," Schiller writes. "The science is still unsettled on whether vaccinated people can transmit the disease to the unvaccinated. . . . The message needs to be: Get the vaccine for your own protection — and the sooner enough of us make that critical, individual decision, the sooner all of us can go back to something approximating our pre-pandemic lives."

Fill the data voids. "News organizations might consider the practice of 'pre-bunking'—that is, actively debunking or anticipating public questions and concerns rather than only reacting once false narratives have been popularized," Schiller suggests. "Publish explainers in advance to protect against misinformation; explain the safety of the vaccine for children or pregnant women; share the commonality of side effects that most people experience, especially after a second dose. There is a growing body of evidence that it works."