Appropriate methods of communication can help prevent a crisis or solve one.

The importance of using the appropriate methods of communication were definitely evident in Team 1’s readings. In China, people were terrified of being stabbed by HIV positive needles; some so much so, that they would not leave their houses unless absolutely necessary. In Uganda, people were worried about contracting HIV/AIDS, but they felt they had the necessary information to prevent contracting the disease themselves.

Both examples show the importance of choosing the best methods of communication for an audience. In China, the government was so concerned about not causing a panic that they allowed rumors to spread and people to worry about something that may not be as prevalent as they thought. Therefore, in essence they caused somewhat of a panic while they were trying to prevent one. One woman had her husband drop her off and pick her up at work, while another would not leave the house unless she had to. Another woman was terrified to talk to a reporter once he asked about the stabbing incidents. The Chinese government’s attempts to keep control put them in danger of losing all control on the information by setting people in and out of China to believe rumors that may be untrue. If China had communicated with the Chinese citizens through the mass media, people would have learned that there were only a few incidents and they would not have been as afraid to go about their normal daily lives. The citizens could have also helped the police stop the attacks and catch the perpetrators by keeping a lookout for suspicious people.

In Uganda, the government acknowledged the problem of HIV/AIDS in their country, therefore they were able to get more help from organizations from around the world. Many methods of communication were used in Uganda, from videos to interaction between peers. The most successful was the interaction between peers. People who heard about the seriousness of HIV/AIDS and how to prevent it from one of their peers were more likely to apply what they learned. Videos and pamphlets also helped to drive home the seriousness of the disease by using graphics and pictures of sick people and of burials. These graphics and pictures were something people could identify with, therefore they paid more attention to the information.

Uganda is a good example of the government and other organizations knowing how to best communicate with their audience. Because there are many different education levels in Uganda, the government and other organizations used methods of communication that would educate everyone. Because of their ability to communicate with just about everyone in Uganda, the government was able to reduce the number of cases of HIV/AIDS in Uganda. China’s denial of the HIV/AIDS problem in China has caused the number of people with the disease to increase and has prevented help from organizations from around the world. Because of this, the number of people with the disease keeps increasing. If the Chinese government were to acknowledge the problem, they would be able to communicate with their citizens and help to stop the spread of the disease. An approach, like the approach in Uganda would be the best way to communicate with the citizens of China because the Ugandan approach communicates with people of all different education levels. Knowing how to communicate with you audience is important whether you are communicating about HIV/AIDS or something less serious.