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Why politicians hesitate during a crisis
When a crisis erupts, we want swift, certain action. When we don’t see it, we criticize our leaders.
Are they so dumb for being caught unprepared, or are they incompetent and that’s why they are slow to react?
After we express our collective outrage, leaders feel pressure to show they have a plan, but in a crisis, this leads to less transparency, and in some instances, outright lies.
Giving leaders space to make deliberate and thought out responses can be more important than taking action for the sake of action.
Politicians, like most people, won’t believe a threat they cannot see
Even before fake news became a refrain among the populace, there had always been a disconnect between what was reported in national and international news, and what people experienced at a local level.
News has tended to cover events that were sensational, such as runaway vehicle chases, or national headlines — things people never experienced in everyday life. It took the likes of Facebook for people to get news of what was happening to ordinary people in their ordinary lives. Even though the reporting was not vetted, it felt like more relatable news.
