Their findings suggest ways that policymakers might efficiently inform the public about the dangers of an epidemic. Communication ChallengesIn the new study, the researchers identified three challenges governments face as they choose the best message to send to the public. “Third, a government with its own political agenda also faces similar trade-offs between public health and the overall economy. The opposite holds true for governments that prioritize public health over the economy, as they are more likely to exaggerate the severity of the disease. “In fact, we found that only for governments with an extremely polarized objective — either toward public health or toward the economy — was information distorted,” Wang said.