There are not many chances where you get the opportunity to have hands-on training with some of the leading experts in crisis communications, risk communication, emergency management, and social media. I had the opportunity to participate in the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Training that was offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. What a wonderful and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The training session with the CDC was two days long. We arrived the first day (Tuesday) and registered in and began the CERC training session with Barbara Reynolds, Ph.D. Dr. Reynolds was our keynote speaker for PR Day 2008 for Crisis Communications at the University of Tennessee, so it was great to see her again. The training was very hands on and insightful – we got a chance to discuss what are the current issues that is facing corporations and federal agencies today that are handling crisis situations, what are the right message strategies to implement, barriers and challenges that we may face with the increase use of social media, and how to manage false rumors and other situations via the Internet.
The CDC has been so proactive in using social media in getting their messages across in a timely and professional manner with the current H1N1 crisis situation. They have an entire site dedicated toward social media implementation in their health and communication practices – from their Twitter site (multiple accounts) to Facebook to even their virtual reality games for children to better understand health issues and risks – the CDC is very strategic and ahead of the curve when it comes to understanding, measuring, and implementing social media.
The second day of training was focused on what were the reputation risks that we are currently facing today, and how do we measure this (definitely my research line!) We got a chance to have hands on experience with using the CDC RiskSmart survey instrument, which was very neat. One of the highlights for me was definitley taking a tour of the CDC. We got a chance to do this as a group, and it was very fascinating to see the facilities and what really goes on during an emergency.
Overall, I had a marvelous time! The CDC personnel that organized this training session were amazing and very accommodating to all of the attendees. We all got numerous reading materials that we can study and use in our practices and classroom. Plus, it was an amazing networking experience for me. I got a chance to meet and talk to some of the leading experts in crisis communications as well as in social media. This was a training session that combined the best minds that are currently working with crisis communications. I was one of two students that was at attendance at the training session, and it was a wonderful learning experience for me.
I would like to thank Barbara Reynolds and the rest of the CDC team for their hard work on setting up this amazing training workshop and making us feel very welcome at the CDC. Thank you! 🙂
Hope you all are having a great day. 🙂
Best Wishes,
Karen
P.S. FYI – the CERC training is also available online if you all are interested. For more information, please go to the following address.
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