Public officials, the media, and policymaking: A case study and analysis

We undertook a case study to examine the potential consequences of public officials' use of the media to communicate information about potential threats to the public's health. We examined the February 2005 alert issued by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about a “rare strain of multi-drug resistant HIV that rapidly progresses to AIDS.” The warning, issued directly to the media, unleashed a firestorm of panic. We conducted a content analysis of the print media coverage in the weeks and months that followed the Department's pronouncement, and examined the television coverage that appeared on local and network television stations the day of the alert. We also examined the chronology of events leading up to the pronouncement, the science behind it, the target audience, the participation of public-health professionals from the private nonprofit sector, and the events that unfolded in the weeks following the pronouncement. Our findings suggest that the alert was designed to garner support for an impending proposal to change state HIV confidentiality law. Further, they highlight the need for public-health professionals to consider the trade-offs involved when health officials collaborate with the media.