Reading Summary from Mike Wayman #4

Mike Wayman

Reading Summary

References:

Horsley, J. (2012). Planning for Spontaneity: The Challenges of Disaster Communication Fieldwork.International Journal Of Qualitative Methods, 11(3), 180-194.

 

Theme:

There hasn't been an established method for communication during a disaster.  Getting people who know what to look for and report on are keys to a comprehensive on site report of a disaster.

Summary:

·       There is no precedent for a study of communication during an unfolding disaster event.

·       Disaster management literature has not examined the communication practices of a disaster response organization

·       Among the many benefits of fieldwork is the opportunity to use the data gathered

during a disaster to immediately input the data

·       Researchers need disaster-specific training to help them be prepared to enter the field to collect data.

·       A challenge of disaster fieldwork is access to informants, interview participants, and

disaster-related documents.

·       The researcher for this article overcame some of those challenges to conduct a participant-observation study of the American Red Cross during the 2009 floods in North Dakota

 

 

Application to the lesson topic:  Communication during a disaster is an important part of a disaster plan.

Application to emergency services:

How EMS is involved in the communication plan of a disaster has a huge impact on how information is delivered during and after a disaster. 

Reading Summary #5 from Mike Wayman

Reference: Motschall, M., & Cao, L. (2002). An Analysis of the Public Relations Role of the Police Public Information Officer. Police Quarterly, 5(2), 152.

Theme: Police departments have been working for decades to set up a more direct and effective system of communication with the public, specifically through their public information officers.

Summary:

·       Sworn police officers, as well as increasing numbers of non law enforcement with journalism/communication backgrounds, are assuming the role of public information officer

·       The position is designed to inform the media and the general public about agency operations, events, and activities.

·       An effective public relations program will enhance community relations, establish a positive relationship between the organization and the press, and aid the organization's ability to attract the support of those involved in the budget approval process

·        PIO activities typically are media-relations focused, but they also can include many of the traditional public relations activities of coordinating special events and producing newsletters

·       Principal tasks cited were media-relations oriented, including fielding media inquires, arranging news interviews, holding press conferences, and disseminating press releases

 

Application to the lesson topic: PIO is a position that has increased in necessity over the years and is now a staple to most public service departments.

Application to emergency services: Having a PIO on staff will help take the stress and pressure of "making a statement" away from EMS personnel, so they can focus on patient care and/or securing a scene.

6- Ashley Burningham- Maintaining Media Relations During Disasters

Ashley Burningham

Reference:
Trahan III, J. V. (1993). Media Relations in the Eye of the Storm. Public Relations Quarterly, 38(2), 31-32.

Theme: Media relations is an important component of disaster preparedness and response and we must work together to get a job done.

Summary:
- August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew struck Florida.
- Within 24 hours, there were hundreds of media inquiries and media personnel on scene.
- An Army Reserve Unit was activated to handle media inquires. (Joint Task Force Andrew)
- JICs Mission:
1. Handle media inquiries for Andrew
2. Coordinate media responses of all federal agencies.
3. Escort media
4. Prepare a daily media briefing
5. Assist with print and electronic products
6. Establish Radio Recovery - 24 hour a day radio coverage in three languages throughout Miami.
- Communication objectives:
1. Help inform victims where and how to get help
2. Inform people what measures were being taken
3. Inform members of the task force what was going on
4. Maintain high morale in the task force.
- Audiences:
1. Primary- victims and members of task force
2 Secondary- Miami residents, Florida residents, U. S. Citizens
-Milestones:
1. Task force fully operational by 9/2/92
2. Mobile Public Affairs by second week of September.
3. JIC had trilingual media conference speaker.
- Lessons learned:
1. Need an easy to understand crisis plan
2. Need a mobilization readiness center
3. Establish your communication channels
4. All media inquiries need to be made by one group
5. Must be totally accessible to the media.
6. Be patient with the media
7. Have realistic media deadlines.
8. Find answers to "I don't know answers" and follow up
9. Be professional an demand truthful coverage.
10. Pracice

Application to Lesson:
This weeks lesson was about media relations and disaster preparedness. This article discussed Hurricane Andrew and how their disaster response involved the media. It included experiences as well as lessons learned.

Application to Career:
The media is an extremely relevant component of responding to a scene. They will be there, and they are usually the messenger of information to the public. It is important to establish and maintains healthy relationships with local media. Better relationships will decrease the complexity of responding to a disaster later.

6 - A Social Marketing Perspective on Disaster Preparedness - Michael Newland

 Michael Newland

Reference:

Guion, D., Scammon, D., & Borders, A. L. (2007). Weathering the Storm: A Social Marketing Perspective on Disaster Preparedness and Response with Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Vol 26 Issue 1, Pg. 20-32.

Theme:

The lessons that we learned from Hurricane Katrina taught us that a social marketing approach to disaster management could increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for individuals and communities when a disaster strikes.

Summary:

·         Katrina suggests that improved preparedness for and response to disasters requires behavior changes on the part of residents in the disaster area and emergency management organizations.

·         The basic four-phase model of disaster management includes: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

·         Because natural disasters are so unpredictable mitigation mostly takes place with preemptive measures. Local, State, and Federal governments establish and enforce rules and regulations to achieve agreed on plans. “Mass media can play a critical role during the mitigation phase because media coverage contributes to the formation of public attitudes, which in turn influence legislative actions.”

·         During the preparedness phase, we focus on reducing the negative consequences of disasters. We aim to encourage people to make choices about protective behaviors and monitoring compliance with community plans. “Community education is an important goal of preparedness, and thus the media are essential partners in this phase of disaster management.”

·         During the response phase emergency teams make every effort to: Provide short-term disaster relief, rescue victims, and to provide shelter. Coordination between the many different agencies is vital. “Information is an important key to coordination, and the mass media play a major role in disseminating such information during this phase and the next.”

·         During the recovery phase, public organizations start to restore social systems and rebuild physical environments. “An important role of the media during the recovery phase is communicating information about available assistance.”

·         We learned a lot about disaster response and the media from Hurricane Katrina. “The media presence during Hurricane Katrina allowed the world not only to see the atrocities experienced by the evacuees but also to see clearly and repeatedly the contradictions and failings by all levels of government.”

Application to the lesson topic:

The media and disaster preparedness/response goes hand in hand. The media plays a crucial role to both the public and response agencies. It allows for massive amounts of information to be passed relatively easily.

Application to emergency services:

During disaster emergency services agencies may need to know more information just like the public. The media allows emergency services personnel to learn more about the crisis so that they can do a better job of continuing their relief efforts.

6 - Media catching and media relations - Martin de la Cruz

Media covering Pres. Obama - procommunicator.com

Reference

Waters, R. D., Tindall, N. J., & Morton, T. S. (2010). Media Catching and the Journalist-Public Relations Practitioner Relationship: How Social Media are Changing the Practice of Media Relations. Journal Of Public Relations Research, 22(3), 241-264. doi:10.1080/10627261003799202

Theme

PIOs and other public relations people need to be looking at the social media as a way to reach journalists.

Summary

Rather than waiting for the stories from public relations practitioners journalists are now using social media to get story ideas.

By using technology and social media journalists get public relations practitioners to compete with story ideas. This phenomenon is called media catching.  See more at: http://www.instituteforpr.org/scienceofsocialmedia/media-catching-and-the-journalist-public-relations-practitioner-relationship-how-social-media-are-changing-the-practice-of-media-relations/#sthash.hdEl4pL7.dpuf

Traditional media are using twitter, but new media outlets have turned to online services like HARO (Help-a-Reporter-Out.com) and LISTSERV technology to get story ideas

Application to the lesson

Media relations is the idea of cultivating a relationship with journalists and editors before an emergency.  This is crucial in developing an understanding of the role and needs of the media. When technology takes over, like with media catching, it becomes more difficult to develop relations with journalists, because as a PIO you may never see them.  Thus, it becomes even more important as a PIO to reach out and meet journalists.

Application to emergency services

In order to garner positive media attention, it is necessary to actively engage journalists instead of waiting for the journalists to cover you on their own. 

John Stewart blasts CNN coverage of Washington shootings

Click here to see the clip from Jon Stewart. And look here to see what is headline news in the LA Times.

Thanks John Scardena for bringing this to our attention.

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6 - Clearing the Air - Sylvia C Kearney

Reference: 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

Theme: A Way To Improve the Public Information Officer Relationship and Journalist

Summary: How Do We Abate the Differences of Discourse between PIO’s and the Media?

There seem to be communication challenges between Public Information Officers and Journalists. We are often told on many occasions to find our media contacts and befriend them. Communication issues do arise on occasions, but can they affect the relationship between the two entities, PIO and Media?  

1)    Lack of Trust – When a disaster occurs, “a sense of threat, urgency, and destruction, often on a monumental scale, “ arises. (Seeger, Sellnow, & Ulmer, 2003, p. 4) During that time of communicating the information to,  “protect health, safety, and the environment,” (Veil, S. R. 2012) is vital. If there are holes in the information that the public receives, uncertainty begins to dwell. The public will try and fill these holes and anxiety rises and misinformation will spread.

2)    Paradoxical Challenges – There is a sense within the PIO that Journalists only want to sensationalize the disaster and stir up panic to get their viewers to tune into their organization. Journalists on the other hand, feel that PIO’s hold back a lot of information and even, “obstruct rather than facilitate the flow of information to the public.” (Veil, S. R. 2012) It is said that PIO’s will not allow for all information to come out protecting the community from public panic. Berkowitz (2009) states, “‘‘Journalists end up in a role of protecting society from corruption, while officials . . . take on the task of protecting their own interests at all costs’’ (p. 102).

3)    Inhibited Collaboration – Sometimes information is not shared between the two PIO and Media organizations.

Application: Lack of trust limits effective communication. PIO’s understand that most journalists have not been trained in covering emergencies. Collaboration has been the most pivotal point by far, to get both, the PIO and the media to the table. Research has proven that, “ . . . to advise emergency managers, to engage the media, through open and honest communication, and use the media as a strategic resource to aid in managing the crisis’’ (Seeger, 2006, p. 241)

Application in EMS: It is important for the PIO to achieve a favorable relationship with the media by understanding how journalists work. It is also important to develop a close relationship with the Journalists (media), and offer them information of disaster that fits into their story frame. On the other hand, Journalists should not walk up to a police officer or firefighter to get closer to the scene, but seek out the PIO and communicate with him to get a better view of the disaster. Maybe we could give journalists some classes, i.e. don’t come to a wildfire with flip-flops on, and maybe we can learn from journalists how to speak and behave in front of the camera. The old adage, “I scratch your back you scratch mine,” has worked for me in many situations, especially in places where I did not know anyone.