Full Description
This Element offers a critical exploration of institutional health communication in an era marked by information overload and uneven content quality. It examines how health institutions can navigate the challenges of false, misleading, and poor-quality health information while preserving public trust and scientific integrity. Drawing from disciplines such as health communication, behavioral science, media studies, and rhetoric, this Element promotes participatory models, transparent messaging, and critical health literacy. Through a series of thematic sections and practical examples, it addresses the role of science, politics, media, and digital influencers in shaping public understanding. Designed as both a conceptual guide and a strategic toolkit, this Element aims to support institutions in fostering informed, engaged, and resilient communities through communication that is clear, ethical, and responsive to the complexities of today's health discourse. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Contents
Introduction; 1. The bases of institutional communication and the challenges of mis/disinformation; 2. Science and institutional communication; 3. the dialogue between politicians and health institutions; 4. trust in health Institutions; 5. Health institutions and the traditional mass media in public health communication; 6. The world of influencers; Conclusion; References.
