Seldom has a crisis affected so many Americans as the Coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has left countless government officials at all levels scrambling to confront Covid 19 and to develop accurate, concise messages they can deliver to the public.
With New York suffering the most cases and deaths of any state by far, Governor Andrew Cuomo has been holding daily news conferences to update his constituents, and all Americans, on the deadly advance of the virus. Using all the communication tools available to him, including PowerPoint, Cuomo has powerfully communicated clear, concise, and compassionate messaging on why New York should receive more federal assistance than it is getting.
It is a non-partisan message aimed at residents of all 50 states, regardless of political affiliation. Here is a clip from one of Cuomo’s news conferences.
After watching this clip, is there any doubt in your mind what Cuomo is communicating? Here is some of what the governor is doing right:
- With his voice, body language and the words he has chosen, Cuomo is communicating with no ambiguity on why New York needs help
- He speaks with confidence and authority
- He has done his homework and owns his material
- Cuomo uses PowerPoint effectively to help illustrate his message
- By communicating that all 50 states are in this fight together, he displays compassion for all Americans
This is very effective messaging, even if you don’t agree with everything Cuomo says or stands for. It is a great example to follow when communicating about COVID-19 or just about anything else for that matter.