Media: Its impact on Disaster

John Scardena

Reference:

Houston, J. (2008). Experiencing disasters indirectly: how traditional and new media disaster coverage impacts youth. Prevention Researcher, 15(3), 14-17.

Theme:

Media can indirectly blast children after a disaster, but there is a growing risk with more media sources

Summary:

-All over the World, weather locally or internationally children were negatively affected by the events in 9/11.

- The stress from seeing images shown by media sources hurt children.

-Youth feel in danger as a result of viewing disasters via media.

-Children that have been exposed to media show Post Traumatic Stress.

-Media today has lower standards; they are based on how many people will be impressed by them, not the morality of the shot.

-Media today makes children form thoughts and opinions based on the graphic images they see not by the history books.

 - Children that were exposed to 9/11 via the internet showed greater trauma.

-It is the responsibility of adults to understand what children are watching around them.

Application to Lesson Topic:

            This lesson is all about how much we really do soak up from the media. This article is a perfect example of the exposure of that source it has on us. I believe that we need to be aware that media is a for profit business and to use it as a tool and not as the library.

Application to Emergency Services:

            I think just as important to be aware of what the media and the images it pushes on people, we need to be aware of the dangers of what happens when they see these disasters first hand. We can be positive to the media; we can keep calm and give hope. If we as responders show hope, we can move the message in a positive way. 

New Media's Effect on Kids

New Media's Effect on Kids

Ashley Burningham

Reference:

Houston, J., Pfefferbaum, B., & Reyes, G. (2008). Experiencing disasters indirectly: how traditional and new media disaster coverage impacts youth. Prevention Researcher, 15(3), 14-17.

Theme:

Kids who aren't directly involved in disasters will have a negative reaction to all media, but new media of today produces an even larger scale negative reaction. 

Summary:

-Local, natonal, and foreign children experienced negative reactions to 9/11. 

-Viewing media depictions causes emotional reactions among young people. (Houston, 2008)

-Media influences stress in children.

-Youth feel in danger as a result of viewing disasters via media.

-Viewing media relates to Post Traumatic Stress symptoms.

-New media is vast.

-New media has different standards than traditional media. 

-New media subjects kids to opinions, theories, personal accounts, non-edited media, and more gruesome images. 

-Kids that heard of 9/11 online rather than  had greatest levels of trauma. 

-Parents need to monitor disaster media kids are exposed to. 

Application to Lesson Topic:

        The topic this week is media coverage of disasters. This article examines the effect of media coverage of disasters on children. It is important to realize that every person is affected by media coverage. Whether it formulates your opinion, changes your opinion, scares you, or shocks you, it has an effect on many things. This effect is even greater on children and it is important to understand the effects. 

Application to Emergency Services:

        As police, it is obvious that media plays a huge role in the business. They inform the public of what's happening. They also have the ability to portray a story however they please. This is where the use of a PIO becomes necessary to facilitate what is being delivered. This article also applies because police respond to disasters and are in charge of helping children feel safe. Police presence in a vulnerable state is extremely important to the mental and physical process.