Establish effective and reliable physical means of communication
with the monitoring scientists. Bearing in mind that a serious
eruption may make travel difficult and may damage exposed telephone
lines, the use of pagers and VHF radios is strongly recommended.
Consider basing your science liaison officer at the volcano
observatory.
Institute a regular timetable of liaison meetings with the scientists
- at least once a day, and more frequently at times of elevated
activity or during eruptions.
Involve the scientists through their nominated spokesperson,
in ALL press conferences, press releases, and announcements
to the public.
To ensure coherence of message, agree with the nominated science
spokesperson about the nature of the information to be released.
Always take account of scientific advice about the changing
behaviour of the volcano and be ready and willing to modify
risk maps, the system of alert levels, evacuation and resettlement
plans.
NEVER ignore the advice of the monitoring scientists.
NEVER take decisions that may impinge upon
the welfare of the local population without consulting the scientific
team.
DO NOT expect or require the scientists themselves
to produce and/or issue warnings to the public. They will advise
the Emergency Management Committee and help in collective decision
making, but it is your responsibility to take the message to
the public.
DO NOT seek, or take, the advice of external
scientists. Any contact with external scientists should be conducted
through, and with the support of, the monitoring team.
DO NOT pressurise the scientists to provide
forecasts of the exact time of an eruption, its style, or its
duration. Current understanding of volcanoes and how they function
simply does |
not allow for this.
DO NOT become frustrated that scientists cannot
guarantee whether or not signs of unrest will lead to an eruption.
This is a notoriously difficult problem in volcanology.
During a crisis, the maintenance of good
relations with the media is critical. Without this
messages can quickly become confused or
misrepresented. Considerable effort may have to
be expended to ensure that conflicts of interest
do not create barriers between you and the
media, which may hinder effective
communication and ultimately result in
increased risk to the public. Effective
collaboration with the media depends upon you
- prior to the development of a crisis situation -
appreciating how the media operates,
understanding the methods it uses to extract
and process information, and identifying
potential causes of friction. It is not unreasonable
to liken the media - as an entity - to a hungry
animal. Keep it well fed and watered and you
keep it content.
The ultimate object of any journalist during a crisis situation
is to find a 'good' story. Typically this will focus upon an
'angle' so as to distinguish it from other stories relating
to the same event.
Journalists are instinctively wary and suspicious, and are constantly
in search of a 'cover-up' that they can address, highlight and
attempt to unravel.
Journalists are notoriously competitive and often attempt to
out-do one another. In a crisis situation this can result in
increasingly speculative stories based upon ever-more unreliable
evidence.
In seeking the personal touch, journalists will consult individuals
within the affected population, asking their opinions and extracting
information about their experiences. Inevitably, the end-product
is often a mish-mash of poorly informed comment and criticism
that may reflect badly on you. To validate information, conscientious |
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