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The Balance Wheel: Summer 2003Inside This Issue | Past Issues | Contact UsCommunication Outlets Used in CWD Crisis[see also: Chronic Wasting Disease Tests Wisconsin’s Crisis Management Abilities] By: Robert Manwell With messages in hand we turned to delivery systems. Nearly every communication channel available to us was used at one time or another. We used: Public meetings – two rounds of statewide public meetings before an estimated total of 4,500 to 5,000 citizens at 12 sites in two statewide tours six months apart; Town hall meetings – in the infection area 8 town hall meetings were held with a follow-up weekend workshop – all specifically targeted at area residents and governments; Publications - 60,000 copies of “Understanding Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin”; 120,000 newspaper inserts; 250,000 wallet cards with the our CWD website address and Service Center locations; 300,000 copies of butchering guidelines available at check stations statewide; over 75 news releases sent to every daily, every weekly newspaper, radio and television station in the state – an average of nearly 6 per month; plus a 20-page special edition news packet sent to all media statewide Public Television – a one hour broadcast on statewide public television Television Media –b-roll packages for TV news crews Monthly updates to the Natural Resources Board and attending media Internet – complete documentation of all publications plus interactive pages for lookup of individual deer submitted for testing, sampling confidence, maps and locations of confirmed CWD deer, links to taskforce agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and other CWD states. Interviews – An full and accurate accounting of the number of interviews given by field and central office DNR isn’t available but the chair of the interagency communications team did complete over 1,400 radio, television and print interviews in a little over 12 months Third party – at one of the earliest public meetings, 1,600 people heard Dr. Mike Miller, DVM and Colorado State wildlife veterinarian affirm the state plan to depopulate deer in the CWD area Other regional outlets – Numerous county fairs, Farm Technology Days, hunting expositions and briefings for legislators, the governor’s office and congressionals Extensive electronic distribution lists to state and agency administrators, legislators, wildlife, conservation law enforcement and front line staff and media representatives. Much of this information was distributed in coordination with other high-customer-contact state agencies such as the Department of Tourism. top |
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