Suggestions to the media to help us cope with the A/H7N9 crisis in China

Abstract

The A/H7N9 avian influenza virus sparked global concerns about public health. The media published numerous reports about emerging infectious diseases, including their clinical characteristics and genomic information. However, outbreaks of A/H7N9 posed a real challenge to China's emergency management and especially its dealing with the media. This study analyzes ways to deal with the media during A/H7N9 crises and it proposes a shift in public emergency management from an "Impact-Responsive" approach to a "Prevention-Active" approach. A "Prevention-Active" approach should be used when dealing with the media during subsequent outbreaks.