Presentation: Melissa Fleming (COM’89), UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications
Location: PHO-211, 8 Mary Street, Charles River Campus, Boston University
BU’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID) is honored to host UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming (COM ’89) for a keynote conversation focused on the evolving role of mis- and disinformation in the context of public health communications, including its role in pandemic preparedness and response.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for evidence-based public health information and communication – demonstrating the key role that public health communications plays in communities all over the world. The pandemic has also shown the detrimental impact of the rise in mis- and disinformation on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and even impact of the disease.
We will address questions such as: What have we learned about mis- and disinformation from the pandemic and other recent infectious disease outbreaks? How can we implement these lessons in future to re-instill trust in evidence-based public information, promote effective public health measures, and save lives? And, do we have the tools we need to most effectively confront the harms that mis- and disinformation cause, in an era of conflict, climate change, and COVID-19?
Event Cosponsors: Alumni Affairs, College of Communication, Global Development Policy Center, Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering, Pardee School for Global Studies
About Melissa Fleming
Melissa Fleming has been the UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications since September 2019. In this role, she leads the Organization’s global communications efforts.
From 2009 until August 2019, Fleming served UNHCR as Head of Global Communications and Spokesperson for the High Commissioner. At UNHCR, she led global media outreach campaigns, social media engagement and a multimedia news service to distribute and place stories designed to generate empathy and stir action for refugees.
Fleming is a frequent interview guest on international media platforms, and her talks are featured on TED.com. She is author of the book, A Hope More Powerful than the Sea, and host of the award-winning podcast, Awake at Night.
Fleming joined UNHCR from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where she served for eight years as Spokesperson and Head of the Media and Outreach. Prior to IAEA, she headed the Press and Public Information team at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Earlier still, she was Public Affairs Specialist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Munich, having started her career as a journalist. From 2016 to 2017, she also served as Senior Adviser and Spokesperson on the incoming United Nations Secretary General’s Transition Team.
Fleming holds a Master of Science in Journalism from the College of Communication, Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in German Studies from Oberlin College.