Flu bloggers validated June 18, 2007
Posted by Andy Roberts in : Bird Flu, blogs and community , trackbackVia Nancy White a report that seems to show how ‘flu bloggers’ are making a difference over in America:
Spare Change: HHS Flu Blog Success?
We’ve got a clear clarion call from the Secretary of HHS, to go forth into our communities and spread the pandemic awareness message. We’ve been validated, at least unofficially, as being partners in the national effort to prepare for a pandemic. And our voices, for the first time, have been heard on this issue.
In case you hadn’t gathered, the flu bloggers are on a mission. The general apathy about this burning issue is blamed on the Media, Government and public. The story, so it goes, just isn’t exciting enough at this stage:
It often moves at a glacier pace, much of the `action’ occurs in remote areas of the world where few reporters have access, and with the exception of a few dedicated flubies, most of the public simply doesn’t care about the latest genetic sequences or the seroprevalence studies on cats in Jakarta.
It’s a bit like 1999 when billions of people around the world failed to dig their own bunkers, stock up on cans of beans and guns to defend against looters in preparation for the inevitable barbarism that would follow Y2K. Outside of the United States we just don’t seem to have that ‘circle the wagons’ mentality.
is an online professional who initiated DARnet 
Hee hee! Yeah, and what do we do with old cans of beans?
My interest in the effort is not so much the flu bloggers mission - on point or misguided, but what happened on the blog that made their work more transparent. Leadership was challenged and, from the bits I read, participated in the conversation. That is a huge leap for many parts of many governments - certainly in ours in the US. A place for conversation - without so many filters - is something worth watching.
The next interesting thing is to see if their work has effect with the public (all judgment aside).
I was intrigued by the way the bloggers were invited to participate in the HHS summit. As I understand it, the flu bloggers were able to make blog posts within the summit space with the government officials refraining from doing so, but responding to the blogs in comments.
“This blog has been a unique foray into a new form of communication between citizens and their government.”
“It isn’t often a government agency steps out of its comfort zone”
There’s also the post by Admiral John O. Agwunobi Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where he acknowleges the power and unique importance of the flu blogging community and the founder of fluwiki in particular.
My post here was picked up on the Pandemic Flu Information forum at http://www.singtomeohmuse.com/
“Pixie wrote:
DemFromCT wrote:
the headline to that post is:
Flu bloggers validated
That’s the problem. The headline for this post http://distributedresearch.net/blog/category/bird-flu/ or any other last week on the subject of panflu really should have been:
“Government Warns All Citizens to Prepare Now for Highly-Fatal Influenza Pandemic”
90-days of stockpiled food,water urged - Internet blogging sites will help officials spread word
And then the next words would hopefully be:
“Helen Branswell Canadian Press”
or
“Donald G. McNeil New York Times”
Now that we would have considered a successful venture.
Time frame, of course, matters, in terms of judging outcome.
Building a pyramid takes longer than throwing up a broadcast tower, but is likely to last longer.
The feds also learned that there are a lot of intelligent and well-informed citizens out there. The process is important, and the idea that citizens can get involved and participate can only be a net positive, whatever the outcome of this venture.
In person (I’m the one Dr. Agwunobi referred to), HHS was far more gracious to flu bloggers than the bloggers were online to HHS. But that’s okay. It’s a completely different culture, and helpful for each to learn about the other, and since there’s not a level playing field, helpful to understand what’s needed to change or advance public policy.
My view is that public health doesn’t get enough input from an informed public. The internet can drastically change that, and maybe we can get back to the days where you knew who the Surgeon General was and you respected the voice.