Communicating Covid statistics to the media: some highs and lows - Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter
2021 Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Public Lecture
Abstract:
The current epidemic is notable for the vast traffic in official and unofficial information and claims, and this has brought unprecedented demands for commentary from ‘experts’. Among many others, I have tried to contribute by providing multiple interviews for radio and TV, writing articles and blogs, feeding Twitter, and with Anthony Masters both producing a weekly column on Covid statistics for a major Sunday newspaper and now writing a book.
I will offer some personal insights into the challenges of trying to bring some illumination to the statistics about the pandemic, illustrated with some examples of things have gone fairly well, as well as communication disasters. In particular, I shall focus on the challenges of combatting the constant pressure to speculate, blame, recommend policies, and go outside one’s area of expertise, and the overwhelming importance of trustworthy communication.
