How Social Media is Changing Disaster Response

Robert Letterman-Reading Summary 9

Reference

Maron, D. F. (2013, June 7). How Social Media is Changing Disaster Response. Scientific American.

Theme

                There a benefits and risks to social media tools that can be used during emergencies.

Summary

·         At the time of Hurricane Katrina, Iphones did not exist, nor did Twitter.

·         During Hurricane Sandy these social media sites played a major role as cell phone usage was limited in the affected areas.  Twitter and Facebook were used to locate loved ones.

·         "The convergence of social networks and mobile has thrown the old response playbook out the window," Michael Beckerman, president and CEO of the Internet Association.

·         During Hurricane Sandy, "users sent more than 20 million Sandy-related Twitter posts, or "tweets," despite the loss of cell phone service during the peak of the storm"

·         The Boston Marathon bombing also saw tremendous activity on Facebook and Twitter.  The Boston Police Department tweeted: "CAPTURED" when it concluded the manhunt.  It was re-tweeted 140,000 times.

·         Google docs were also used to spread the word to those affected of available shelter, food, and hot showers because of the road closures.

·         A danger that these sites can pose is that some people can mistakenly spread mis-information about emergency incidents.

·         "Tweets flow so quickly it's like a fire hose where you're trying to extract bits of information that are relevant"

·         Users of these sites must also be aware that scammers use social media sites to solicit money posing as victims of a disaster.

Application

                I think it is critical for emergency management personnel and public information officers to become highly skilled in the use of these social media sites. Not only can we use them to relay critical information to the public and victims.  We must be able to navigate these sites so that we can correct any potential misinformation of an incident.

 

Reading Summary 4- Randy Rask- Disaster Communication on the Internet

Randy Rask

Lesson 4 Reading Summary

Reference:

Barr D., Friedman D., Koskan A., Tanner A. Disaster Communication on the Internet: A Focus on Mobilizing Information.  Journal of Health Communication; Dec2009, Vol. 14 Issue 8, p741-755, 15p, 2 Charts.

Theme:  How the internet is used to disperse information during times of disaster.  Using news to gather information and then mobilizing that information through the use of the internet. 

Summary:

·         Natural and man-made disasters are plaguing the world in our decade. 

·         Different forms of emergency preparedness and response information is very important in these times to mitigate loss of life and property. 

·         Audience demands are high during times of disaster.   Because of this, many organizations have started to use the web/internet as a means to disperse information.

·         The public needs access to disaster response efforts and information so that they know what role they need to play or what they need to do to help mitigate the disaster.

·         Crisis communication is important in responding to disasters

·         During emergencies, the Internet helps by being able to update information as quickly as possible.  Much quicker than television or radio.

·         This leads to mobilizing information in a quick manner. 

·         Some information that is mobilized on the Internet in times of disaster are evacuation information, help-line phone numbers, checklists for preparedness supplies, websites with more information on the disaster, and instructions on what to do in the case of an emergency. 

Application to Lesson Topic:

The lesson was on crisis management and communication planning.  This article shows how important the Internet's role is during times of disaster.  The ability of being able to mobilize information in a very timely manner is very important in crisis management during a disaster. 

Application to Emergency Services:

In the emergency service field, it is difficult to manage a crisis without the ability to mobilize information to those who need it.  Many different methods are taken to disperse information to those affected by the disaster.  The Internet is one of those methods that is very effective in disseminating information to the public as quickly as possible.  We as emergency workers need to remember how effective the Internet is when we want to get information out to the public. 

lessons from media coverage of Black Saturday

Joseph Galbraith

Lesson 2 Reading Summary

Reference:

 

Muller, D. (2010). Ethics and trauma: lessons from media coverage of Black Saturday. The Australian Journal of Rural Health , 5-10.

 

Theme: The actions of the media during the Black Saturday disaster has left many questions regarding ethical behavior.  The interaction with emergency services authorities and survivors must be improved to keep journalistic integrity.

Summary:

• The research article interviews 28 members of the media that covered the brush fires in February, 2009 in Victoria, Australia.  The purpose was to find out how the media reacted to roadblocks, authorities and survivors.  The after effects on the media employees were were also examined.

• The authorities set many roadblocks after the disaster specifically to keep media members distanced from the scene.  Different media organizations reacted differently to this measure. The following tactics were used by the media.

            -Find another way in

            -Get past by chance

            -Get past by deception

            - Resist Deception

            - Accept the road block

 

• There was no general consensus by the media industry on how to deal with restrictions.

• Many journalists did not believe that the roadblocks were there to protect their safety.  Many believed that the authorities were trying to protect the survivors. 

• Media members were also faced with whether or not to access private property to get a story.  Different tactics were used with many reasons for doing so, including getting the real story to the public.

• More consensuses were agreed upon when it came to interviewing survivors.  Prior consent was requested for interviews and images.  Close up coverage was avoided during times intimacy and grief.  Also, when interviewed, survivors were given a fairness test before being broadcast.  Fairness means that the media member would have to determine if the answers given were affected by the emotion caused by the event and would the person answer different at a later time.  It was suggested that media members undergo training by trauma experts to understand how certain questions can affect survivors negatively.

•Another ethical issue was raised during this disaster of when should a reporter put down the camera and help the victim.  Is he or she contributing more by covering the story or by assisting? 

• The different actions by the various news organizations were caused by; rivalries, authorities, editors and the survivors that they dealt with.  Some survivors wanted to talk to the media because it helped them cope. 

• Much still must be learned by media organizations on how to help employees cope with trauma.

Application to the lesson topic:

This article applied ethical questions to the media and emergency services and sparked more discussion on ethical standards.

Application to emergency services: Emergency responders must try to stay professional when dealing with the media.  Even when the media is at fault for an unethical action, they will not report on it.  Instead the emergency personnel will be scrutinized unfairly.  Proper planning and understanding the ethical standards in place by the media will help emergency organization accomplish their tasks more efficiently.

Reading 12 Comments

Comments for Week 12 Reading Summaries

Mass Fatality Management following the South Asian Tsunami Disaster

This article illustrates some horrible sobering facts about the Tsunami.  We always here the number of casualties but then we fail to comprehend how much work needs to be done to clean up the bodies.

 

Early psychological intervention following a natural disaster: A case study with a victim buried under rubble for 124 hours

What a tremendous story of survival.  I think this article really helps us to understand the importance of the psychological damage that needs to be addressed.  We can spend so much of our focus on making sure everyone is physically rescued that we assume everything will be okay once they are safe.  But really the work has only begun as some people will require a lifetime of counseling to cope with what has happened.

 

Media Training: A 5 Step Process To Drive Message Development and Interview Preparation

Reading Summary 8

Rob Letterman

Reference

Wetherhead, D. (2012, September 17). Media Training: A 5 Step Process To Drive Message Development and Interview Preparation. Retrieved from Comprehension: http://comprehension.prsa.org/?p=5048

Theme

               Public relations professionals need to hone successful communication skills outlined by the five steps.

Summary

·        This article outlines 5 steps to communicating an effective message.

·        Setting an agenda is the first step.  Identifying the objectives of the message your agency or company is trying to accomplish.

·        "Your conclusions should be reflected in key messages, supporting information, Q&A responses and a pre-planned closing statement" (Wetherhead, 2012).

·        Crafting key messages and the repeated use of them is important when trying to communicate an effective message.

·        "Develop three key messages to serve as the foundation for all communications and to weave into each interview" (Wetherhead, 2012).

·        It's important to describe your product or service and focus on the benefits to the target audience.

·        Proving your points is the third step in the process.  We must introduce and reinforce key messages.

·        We must be prepared for potential questions during the interview process.  After we list potential questions "…you can arm yourself with key message-laden responses and seek needed data or counsel in advance of the interview" (Wetherhead, 2012).

·        Making lasting impressions is the final step.  Most people will remember the first and last things you say, so it's important to make them meaningful.

Application

               Although this article came from the perspective of public relations professionals and their techniques and strategies we can learn and apply the proven successes to my own future work situation.  The steps that Debbie outlined are extremely beneficial to the work of a PIO.

Tweeting the Press Release

Joseph Galbraith

Lesson 7 Reading Summary

Reference:

 Roach, T. J. (2012). Tweeting the Press Release. Rock Products, 115(1), 32.

Theme: The use of press releases can be a valuable tool used by businesses and other organizations.  Due to the advent of Twitter the conventional news media is not depended on as much to share the information.

Summary:

• Twitter allows agencies to type the headlined and key words of the press release and then a link can be added as well.

• Organizations do not have to wait for news agencies to pick the story up before the information can be shared.

• Twitter allows organizations to share information about other activities and events to allow followers to get to know them better.

• An ideal situation would be to have a news outlet report on the press release and then post a link on Twitter. 

• Many Twitter users will get the message as a primary means of communication.  These users can then share the information with others to that may not have Twitter access.

• Newspapers and other journalistic outlets provide credibility to a story and should be sought out to share the press release when possible.

 

Application to the lesson topic:

This lesson has been about writing and publishing press releases in order to get a message to the public.  Twitter is rapidly becoming more and more useful for citizens, and emergency personnel.  Press Releases using Twitter allow that information to get distributed as fast as the emergency organization would like it to.

Application to emergency services:

Proper and timely is the goal of emergency information when sending a message.  Twitter allows the agency to send the information on their timetable.  Emergency managers should be well aware of this system.

Role of Mass Media in the Disaster Preparedness and Sustainable Development Society

Reading Summary 6

Rob Letterman

Reference

Seid-Aliyeva, D. E. (2006). Role of Mass Media in the Disaster Preparedness and Sustainable Development Society. AIP Conference Proceedings.

Theme

               The ability of a population to prepare and recover from natural disasters relies on the effective communication skills of the mass media.

Summary

·        Despite the assumption that the United States was one of the more prepared countries when it comes to natural disasters, Hurricane Katrina illustrated the importance of vigilant disaster preparedness.

·        Population growth and the accompanying encroachment to areas prone to natural disasters has increased the necessity to become prepared.

·        The mass media have responsibility to educate cultures who are living in at risk areas for natural disasters.

·        The media needs to check the facts of the disaster thoroughly for accuracy to avoid disseminating false information.

·        In response to an earthquake in Azerbaijan, "The mass media activity should be directed to the increase of the public awareness on risk due to natural hazards and should promote disaster management" (Seid-Aliyeva, 2006).

·        There were very few educational materials available from the mass media regarding the threat of earthquake.

·        Following the earthquake in the Caspian Sea many media outlets stopped translating as the public needed critical information regarding the incident.

Application

As PIO or someone responsible for communicating preparedness and recovery to natural disaster we must be prepared for any kind of natural disaster to our communities.  As someone who plans to work in private sector emergency management I must be able to identify the threats and how to recover so that my company can continue business, which will assist the community as a whole in recovery.