Veil, S. R. (2012). Clearing the Air: Journalists and Emergency Managers Discuss Disaster Response. Journal Of Applied Communication Research,40(3), 289-306. doi:10.1080/00909882.2012.679672
Summary:
- Emergency managers and journalists share a goal of delivering vital information to the public in a disaster.
- Achieving this goal requires that emergency managers and journalists work together. This study examines the struggle between emergency managers and journalists to identify communication challenges and to provide suggestions for improving the emergency–media relationship.
- Communication issues that can affect the relationship and get in the way of communication include stereotypical judgments, a lack of trust, and unrealistic expectations.
- How each is identified and their perceived affiliations to larger government and media structures contribute to the lack of trust.
- The article suggests that when emergency managers and journalists are better informed about each others' professions, and when they develop stronger relationships within their own organizations, the quality and timeliness of information delivered to the public will improve.
Application to the lesson topic: When emergency services and the media work together the information the public needs is released efficiently and effectively.
Application to emergency services: Emergency services need to understand how the media works to be able to work with them. When they learn about the media, emergency services can make sure they deliver the most effective information the media will need and use.
Working together with the media is so important. I think that too often, PIOs think that they have a good relationship with their media contacts, but in reality they do not. In cases such as this, the media will put a spin on what you tell them. If you have a relationship of trust, you can mitigate this.
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