‘Does sunscreen cause cancer?’

For organisations communicating about health, well-being or prevention, that’s a real challenge. Sharing correct information is no longer enough. Your message also needs to be clear, build trust and hold up in an online environment. Health communication therefore requires more than just factual accuracy. It needs strategic sharpness too. But how do you make sure your message is both right and heard?

Strong health communication starts with clarity about who is speaking. People should instantly understand why they can take your message seriously. In an online landscape where real experts and pseudo-experts coexist, that framing makes a big difference. So don’t just say what you’re saying, but also where it’s coming from. A line such as ‘Dermatologist Dr X explains why sunscreen protects your skin from harmful UV radiation’ doesn’t just inform. It immediately places the message in a trustworthy frame. That doesn’t just strengthen your content, but also the confidence in your organisation.

Many organisations have a natural reflex to be comprehensive. That’s understandable, but online, completeness doesn’t always work in your favour. People scroll quickly, read selectively and drop off as soon as a message tries to do too much at once. That’s why one clear core message is usually stronger than a post that tries to nuance everything in one go. If you want to respond to the claim that sunscreen causes skin cancer, you don’t need to counter it with a full medical lecture. It’s often more effective to clearly state what’s being claimed, why it’s incorrect and what is true instead.

Tackling misinformation takes more than putting facts on the table. Tone determines whether people are willing to listen. If you communicate too harshly, too technically or too patronizingly, you’ll trigger resistance. With health topics in particular, it’s important that people feel taken seriously, even if they’ve picked up something that’s wrong. That doesn’t mean you need to become vague or overly careful. Quite the opposite: clear language works. It just works better when it stays calm, human and respectful.

A strong message doesn’t stop at debunking a false claim. If you want to build trust, you also need to help people move forward. That can be a link to a reliable website, a campaign page, an expert video or a clear FAQ. This way, you don’t just provide correct information, you provide a route to context and depth. And in a digital environment where half-truths constantly compete for attention, that matters. Correcting might win you a moment. Offering guidance builds long-term trust.

Even the best content falls flat if the format isn’t right. Health communication now happens in a space that’s fast, visual and heavily shaped by platform logic. That means organisations need to think not only about what they say, but also about how they say it. Sometimes a short expert video works better than a text post. Sometimes a simple visual or a clear carousel is stronger than a long explanation. Not every claim requires a response, and not every channel calls for the same approach.

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