Blaming Victims and Survivors: An Analysis of Post-Katrina Print News Coverage

Blaming Victims and Survivors: An Analysis of Post-Katrina Print News Coverage

Justin E. Ross

Reference: Davis, M., & French, T. (2008). Blaming Victims and Survivors: An Analysis of Post-Katrina Print News Coverage. Southern Communication Journal, 73(3), 243-257. doi:10.1080/10417940802219736

Theme: Ways in which the media can skew the views of the general public and the ethical implications there of.

Summary:

• Media outlets clearly used survivor and victim without any real regard for how those two words have different connotations

• The weight of the media is heaviest following a disaster.  Few people recogonize the impact that the media has on the public's perception of what actually happened during the event.

• Many times reporters try to assign fault to a certain population or group, when there is actually no way that the fault can be assigned wholly.

• Media outlets commonly associate the names natural disaster to an event, when the failures were actually because of a technological issue that failed during a disaster.

• Rhetorical language is used in disasters and can create a feeling of the victims or survivors being guilty of something and therefore are at fault for their condition or situation.  

• When a reporter writes a story with the assumption that people understand the conditions on the ground before and after the event they run the risk of creating negative images of the community and the people that are not accurate.

Application to the lesson topic:

When examining the media's coverage of disasters it is important to understand that there is a certain degree of bias in the language that they are using, even if it is not conscience. 

Application to emergency services:

Emergency management professionals need to be aware of the fact that the media is not infallible, and that even when they try very hard to be unbiased it is hard to do.  We must also know when the writing of the media is unethical and make sure that we do what we can to address those issues, early and often.

 

Justin E. Ross
j_elliotte@yahoo.com
360 609-2839

reading summary #12

Here's #12 again 

On Thursday, December 5, 2013 8:49 PM, Mike Wayman <mwayman78@yahoo.com> wrote:

Reference:

Coles, J. B., Zhuang, J., & Yates, J. (2012). Case study in disaster relief: A descriptive analysis of agency partnerships in the aftermath of the January 12th, 2010 Haitian earthquake. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 46(1), 67-77. doi:10.1016/j.seps.2011.08.002

Theme: By working together, agencies that respond to disasters can make a real difference in the country affected.

Summary:

• A case study after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Hati
• A summary of the disaster relief efforts by 18 different relief agencies
• Paper reviews the formation and maintenance of partnerships after the earthquake
• The paper talks about the cooperation and understanding that were the result of the agencies responding to the call for help
•  Findings from the agencies interviewed found that the agencies that had no partnerships or presence in Haiti prior to the earthquake were the ones who built new clinics, orphanages, and schools.
• Agencies were more likely to develop some new partnerships because of new contacts rather than old, non active contacts.
• This paper discovered the partnerships between local and international agencies, was less stable than partnerships between international agencies
•  This paper wanted to increase understanding of the research and how it could be applied in disaster relief networks.
• This paper wanted to provide a new perspective into how agencies work together.

Application to the lesson topic: After a significant disaster, it is important to evaluate how emergency responses responded and acted. After the analysis, things may be put into place to help in the next disaster.

Application to emergency services: These studies may help emergency personnel in other parts of the world lean what works and doesn't in an emergency situation. These studies may help emergency personnel save lives. 

Reading summary #11

Here's #11 again

On Wednesday, November 20, 2013 4:12 PM, Mike Wayman <mwayman78@yahoo.com> wrote:

Reference: Valvi, A. C., & Fragkos, K. C. (2013). Crisis communication strategies: a case of British Petroleum. Industrial & Commercial Training, 45(7), 383-391. doi:10.1108/ICT-04-2013-0026

Theme: With an oil spill in 2010 BP failed in it's communication during the crisis.

Summary:

• British Petroleum (BP) came face to face with a crisis on 20 April 2010 when an explosion in the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig caused a huge oil spillage in the Gulf of Mexico.
• The case study attempts to describe BP's serious communication mistakes managing a serious hit to BP's reputation.
• The case study attempts to provide a detailed outline of BP's communication failures by conducting in-depth investigation of newspapers, audiovisual material, social network sites.
• BP's crisis communication was a weak link in its crisis management strategy.
• Public Relations (PR) mistakes were made by BP and shouldn't be avoided in a crisis of their organization. They should select strategies that point out their organization's strengths and correct its weaknesses in order to take advantage of opportunities and counter external threats.
• This study could be valuable in communication, since BP's PR strategies during this oil spill have not been studied before this incident, now they have and suggestions have been made
• The communications solutions BP took during the crisis were examined and certain strategies BP should have followed in order to avoid its failed PR plan are outlined in the article.
• The suggestions can help both PIO's and researchers to learn from BP's mistakes and give more attention to communication strategies, which are critical to all crises.

Application to lesson topic: Good crisis communication is vital in any situation

Application to emergency management: In an emergency good crisis communication is vital. That is how information is passed onto the public. When crisis communication doesn't go well, there's enormous consequences.

Reading Summary #9 from Mike Wayman

Here's #9 again

On Saturday, November 9, 2013 5:03 PM, Mike Wayman <mwayman78@yahoo.com> wrote:

Reference

Adam, N., Shafiq, B., & Staffin, R. (2012). Spatial Computing and Social Media in the Context of Disaster Management. IEEE Intelligent Systems,27(6), 90-96

Theme: The use of social media and apps have made a huge impact on how information is delivered. Using these resources have made reports of a disaster in real time the norm. The use of social media can help those making decisions about the emergency easier and quicker.

Summary:

• The growing trend of using smart phones and other GPS-enabled devices has provided new opportunities for developing apps and technologies in new ways.
• One promising application area for this is social media and its application to disaster management.
• Real-time incident information collected from people on the ground about the extent of damage, how the disaster unfolded, the community's needs, and responders' ability to deal with the situation, combined with information from the larger emergency management community, could lead to more accurate and real-time awareness.
• Social media helps make informed decisions, better resource distribution and a better response and outcome to the disaster.
• The US Department of Homeland Security's Science & Technology Directorate (DHS-S&T) has initiated the Social Media Alert and Response to Threats to Citizens" (SMART-C) program, which aims to develop a citizen participation with the capability for decision making throughout the disaster via a multitude of devices and social media sites.

Application to the lesson topic: Social media is becoming common place way for people all over to communicate and stay in touch, especially when a disaster strikes.

Application to Emergency Services: The use of social media has proven to be invaluable when it comes to a disaster. Getting information out to family and friends of those affected is almost instantaneous with the use of sites such as Twitter. Social media also helps those on the ground during a disaster call out for help.  

reading summary #10

Here's my #10 again 

On Thursday, November 14, 2013 9:16 AM, Mike Wayman <mwayman78@yahoo.com> wrote:

Reference:

O'Brien, T. (2004). Renovating "This Old Press Conference". Public Relations Tactics, 11(12), 15.

Theme: Only hold a press conference when the story is likely to generate a good deal of media interest. Hold the press conference as a convenience for both the client and media.

Summary:

• Don't call it a press conference – Call it a press briefing, or reception or media tour
• Don't conduct your event in a traditional corporate setting – Have the conference in the public or at the setting of the story
• Manage expectations – Sometimes a press conference is set up before the IPO is notified. As the IPO work to make sure the press conference is successful and informative.
• Think visually – Consider dress of those involved and how the setting of the press conference will look. These will impact how the information is received.
• Never guarantee coverage – Don't make promises to any reporter for additional or 'inside' coverage.
• When all else fails, keep your head up-Understanding that you can't control the media will make it slightly easier to maintain your cool when unexpected challenges present themselves in the final minutes before your event

Application to the lesson topic: A press conference can go very good or very bad, preparation and being educated about the press conference topic by the IPO makes all the difference.

Application to Emergency Services: A press conference dealing with any emergency service needs to be thought out and well prepared for. Thinking through some of these suggestions helps insure a successful, informative press conference.

Tsunami Coverage: What was Missing

Tsunami Coverage:  What was Missing

Justin E. Ross

Reference: Tsunami Coverage. (2005). Nieman Reports, 59(1), 64.

Theme: The different ways in which media outlets covered the 2004 tsunamis.

Summary:

• Some areas that were effected by tsunamis had never been visited by reporters before

• There was a lack of cultural sensitivity on behalf of the media outlets and the reporters responding to the incident.

•  This information was informed by conversations between reporters and psychologist.

• In some countries there was a reluctance on behalf of the local media outlets to report on the devastation, for political reasons.

• Some reporters did an effective job by picking a few individuals and creating a long term "narrative" to accompany their story.

• Some stories led readers to believe that the people of the affected community had nothing to start with, but they were actually well off by their cultures standards.
  

Application to the lesson topic:

The media needs to pay attention to facts on the ground when writing a story about a disaster, but more importantly they need to look at the story from a lens other than their own.  That is to say they need to think about the cultural norms of the community in which they are reporting.

Application to emergency services:

As a PIO I could help guide media outlets towards stories that actually represent the situation on the ground.

 

Justin E. Ross
j_elliotte@yahoo.com
360 609-2839