While most people have grown used to seeing Marc Van Ranst pretty much everywhere they look nowadays, the virologist has recently been making headlines for a lecture he gave in 2019.
For some time now, edited compilations of parts of the filmed lecture have sparked accusations that Van Ranst is manipulating the public, as the videos make it seem like he is using the current pandemic for personal gain.
In his speech, however, Van Ranst explained how he managed crisis communication during the outbreak of the swine flu in 2009, as the country's flu commissioner.
In front of an audience of experts, he explained how he made sure he was the reference point for various media during that period, using the slogan “one voice, one message.”
“You have to be omnipresent, the first day or days,” Van Ranst said. “In order to attract the attention of the media, you make an agreement with them: you will tell them everything, and if they call you, you pick up the phone.”
Contrary to what Van Ranst is accused of, however, his aim was to have calm communication with clear explanations, in order not to overly worry the population, he later explained.
What do you think?
Let @johnstonjules know on Twitter (or @maithechini, since she wrote it today).
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Jules Johnston & Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
