2003年4月到6月,臺灣面臨SARS浩劫,使政府與社會原本建立的防疫信心一夕崩盤。本研究試圖從「危機溝通」的角度,評析政府在SARS蔓延期間的溝通作為,並點出其中的缺失之處,包括危機應變中心疊床架屋、指揮不力;中央與地方意見不一、屢生衝突;媒體溝通不良、對外窗口不一;危機前未能宣導正確防疫知識,導致民眾過度恐慌等。在檢視現階段政府的防疫宣導與危機預防策略時,發現宣導策略已能針對上一波疫情的溝通缺失有所改進,且加強了媒體溝通與政府防疫形象建立的工作。 本研究最後提出如下建議:一、政府應從過去的傷害經驗中學習,做好新風險概念的宣導溝通工作;二、完善的危機應變計畫必須時常演練,並且隨情勢及外界反應進行彈性修訂,方不致流於紙上談兵;三、宣導是強調單向溝通,溝通的本質就是雙向對話,建議政府應有更明確的行為指引,使民眾願意將屬於外在強制的SARS防疫概念,內化成個人的自發行為。
The crisis communication responses of the Taiwan government to cope with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 was severely criticized. By employing a crisis communication model as research framework, this study evaluates the government's crisis communication efforts during the SARS outbreak as well as the risk communication strategies in the post-SARS era. The study explores a few defects during the SARS crisis, which include redundant crisis contingency centers, conflicts between central and local governments, poor communication with media reporters, inconsistent channels for external communications, and insufficient disease-prevention information given to the public before the crisis, so as to cause over-panic to the epidemic. In conclusion, the study suggests the government to improve the efforts on risk prevention in order to prevent another attack of the epidemic. It also suggests a better crisis contingency plan which is practiced periodically and able to overcome further challenge of the unknown diseases.