As the CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to respond to Ebola, the fear level in the United States ticked up a notch. Protective gear and high-tech equipment didn't protect two Dallas health-care workers from Ebola, yet government officials told Americans they were safe. After noticing postings from the public on its social sites that seemed to be spreading misinformation and concern, ABC News quickly geared up to replace that fear with facts.
ABC News teamed up with Facebook on October 17th to produce a comprehensive Town Hall. Good Morning America's viewers were encouraged to submit questions to both the ABC News and GMA Facebook pages.
The Ebola Town Hall was streamed live on ABCNews.com, gma.yahoo.com and Facebook. ABC News' Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos anchored the 25 minute forum. ABC News' Chief Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser along with NYC Health Department Deputy Commissioner Dr. Jay Varma answered the most pressing and commonly asked questions.
The Ebola Town Hall was separated into eight "Questions Answered About Ebola" segments that were shared on the ABC News and GMA Facebook pages. The Ebola Town Hall reached over 10 million people on Facebook.