The Contagion experience- Crisis Comm reflection 4

I have the worst memory when it comes to movies. Seriously, I should have taken notes during Contagion. What I do know, is that I have washed my hands more since I have seen that movie than any other time my life. Yikes, germs have never been so terrifying.

From a crisis management perspective, this film was beyond interesting... it was overwhelming. The impact of an epidemic like one in the film was unimaginable. And as the plot went on and more people became infected, the crisis snow balled- making any crisis communication professional stutter in disbelief.

However, in the very initial phases, immediately following the death of Gweneth Paltrow’s character it seemed there were overt and thoughtful crisis management meetings. These brought to light complications based on the interests of the multiple agencies involved, but the largest complication was the unknown.

Early on, there was no knowledge of where the epidemic began, how exactly it was bring spread, and what could stop it. Instead, there were a few deaths that were loosely linked and no understanding of what could be the root of the disease. At this point, there was a lot to consider for the players at the table. They had choices to make- and each of these involved some amount of risk and a different group of stakeholders.

If the news were to go live that there was a possible epidemic looming then panic and frenzy could ensue. This could potentially be more dangerous than the germ. The professionals at the CDC devised a plan to try to separate infected persons from the healthy. A few schools were closed, offices, etc. People were encouraged to stay home if they were not feeling well.

Unfortunately, this was not enough. As time went on panic did set in. There were paracrises beginning as food the supply dwindled. Looting and violent crime increased as people’s desperation to survive increased.

What I found most interesting about the film was the downplay of the mass media involvement. Aside from a few seconds of footage, there was very little mention of the affect the mass media would have. There was one rogue blogger whose coverage of the outbreak and the cure became central to the plot, but CNN, CBS, Fox News, etc were all seemingly uninvolved. If this were a real event, I contend that the panic would have set in much sooner.

Seeing the frenzy over the limited supply of vaccines and forsythia brings back memories of recent gas shortages in Charlotte. Lines at the pump went on for blocks. People filled up their vehicles and spare tanks as well. Where did the sense of panic come from? The mass media.

I really enjoyed this film. It petrified me, but gave me a different perspective on handling crisis communication. Weighing overwhelming options and doing the best thing is not always easy. Likewise, it is not easy to prepare for a crisis of this nature. While contagious epidemics in general are worthy of plans, the unexpected characteristics of one type of epidemic can change the crisis management plan completely.