{"id":389329,"date":"2020-11-30T07:03:33","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T12:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/?p=389329"},"modified":"2020-11-30T07:03:33","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T12:03:33","slug":"poll-new-national-conversation-about-covid-19-urgently-needed-to-overcome-partisan-divide-and-save-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/poll-new-national-conversation-about-covid-19-urgently-needed-to-overcome-partisan-divide-and-save-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Poll: New National Conversation About COVID-19 Urgently Needed to Overcome Partisan Divide and Save Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n“Changing the COVID Conversation” data reveal insights that can help build trust in public health measures and government officials
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Bethesda, Maryland, Nov. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ten months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans remain divided along party lines about how serious the virus is and what steps should be taken to contain it, according to a new poll by pollster Frank Luntz and the nonpartisan de Beaumont Foundation. The poll also reveals language that political and health leaders can use to reach all audiences, build trust in public health measures, and save lives. Details are available at\u00a0debeaumont.org\/changing-the-covid-conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We don’t have a partisan divide — it’s a chasm,” said Dr. Luntz, who conducted the poll Nov. 21-22. “The words our leaders are using need an immediate upgrade. What they\u2019re saying isn\u2019t working. Democrats and Republicans simply think differently and act differently. We need to accept this as fact.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on our findings, our leaders need to remove politics and partisanship from their messaging and give Americans a better reason to comply other than because it’s good for them. They must remind people that it’s also good for the people they love and will speed up the return to a strong economy and a normal day-to-day activities.”<\/p>\n

Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, which focuses on improving state and local public health, said, “Effective communication is always important in public health, but it’s never been more important for health leaders to understand the perceptions of Americans and modify their language accordingly. We approached Frank Luntz to do this work because we need to build bridges and use language that builds trust and improves compliance with urgent public health measures.”<\/p>\n

The poll, “Changing the COVID Conversation,” reflects the views of 1,100 respondents, including an oversample of 300 African Americans. It highlights how much of the messaging and language being used by public health experts, state and local officials, and the White House is missing the mark \u2013 and failing to motivate millions of Americans to get behind life-saving public health precautions, such as masking, testing, social distancing, and vaccinations. Insights include:<\/p>\n