The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has faced scrutiny over its communication practices, particularly since the administration of former President Donald Trump. Criticism has increased as public health officials point out an alarming drop in timely fact-checking and critical health information dissemination. As of April 2023, the CDC’s main X account has shown a marked decrease in activity, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to protect public health amid ongoing health challenges.
What happened to the CDC’s messaging on COVID Before Trump’s inauguration, the CDC was communicating as if the world were normal. They regularly reported on the classic public health triumphs. Starting in January of 2023, blog posts from organizations tracking this shift have noted a sharp decrease in how often and openly these communications have been occurring. The CDC’s main X account posted only three tweets in April, with the first occurring on April 7 after a week of silence. This cut to communication and outreach is deeply concerning both for health professionals and the public.
In March 2023, the CDC’s main Facebook page exhibited more activity, with over 20 posts made throughout the month, including information on preventing bacterial infections and guidance on cancer screenings. This spike in posts is drastically different than its social media activity in months after. The CDC’s combined CDC social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Canva have more than 12 million followers. The messages they are putting out are not communicating the urgency that is required during these times of acute public health crises.
The CDC’s mission is more important than ever to build the health security of the American people. This significance is brought into sharper focus when we look at recent health trends. On May 14, the CDC’s main X account reported a decline in overdose deaths, a positive development that underscores the agency’s role in addressing pressing health issues. This major deterioration of communication also begs the question—how can the agency operate effectively?
Amid all these positive changes, our internal reporting tells a different story. Countless public health messages sent for approval by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) never see the light of day. Less than one in five of these posts have received approval for posting on social media networks. This bottleneck in information flow could prevent rapid public education and action in the face of new health threats.
A CDC employee highlighted the agency’s struggle with communication, stating, “So at that point we stopped pretty much all communications.” This issue sums up a larger frustration felt by staff across the country with the direction that federal public health messaging is heading. Another employee noted that “everything is getting bottlenecked at the top,” leading to significant delays in essential communications.
Experts warn that this nationwide decline threatens to erode public trust in the CDC. Kevin Griffis, a public health advocate, commented on the implications of restricted messaging: “Public health functions best when its experts are allowed to communicate the work that they do in real time, and that’s not happening.” He observed that when pro-vaccination and neutral public health messages are curtailed, it reduces the credibility of future communications.
Dr. Jodie Guest, an epidemiologist, emphasized the importance of transparent communication in guiding public behavior: “The whole goal is to say, this is what we know. And here are the best recommendations from experts in the field.” She added that clear advice is essential for protecting public health: “And this is the best advice about the way the general population should handle things in order to protect their health.”
The agency continues to deal with enormous operational headwinds. In turn, that’s led to massive staff cuts, laying off tens of thousands of workers in the past two major organizational shifts. Many of CDC’s employees are demoralized and frustrated. They think the restrictions on their capacity to engage the public truly impede their mission. One worker lamented, “We are functionally unable to operate communications,” highlighting a critical barrier to fulfilling the agency’s mission.
As of February 6, 2023, CDC staff were notified that they could – at long last – start meeting again with partners outside the four walls of CDC. This decision was made on the basis of furthering coordination and helping create better agency communication plans. Concerns about bureaucratic delays have been a hard concern to shed among rank-and-file staff.
