This chapter contains advice to help the media
maintain good working relations with the
Emergency Management Committee, or its
equivalent, and with the monitoring scientists -
the two key sources of information during a
volcanic crisis. The media has a critical role to
play during an emergency situation when the
unimpeded and effective flow and management
of information can literally mean the difference
between life and death. In this context, the
media's task is to provide a conduit for the
transmission of warnings from the EMC to the
public, without confusing, complicating, or
changing the message. Accurate and responsible
reporting is vital if rumour and hearsay are not to
lead to unwarranted fear and panic. In the heat
of a volcanic crisis, the media's priority must be
to fully support emergency managers and
monitoring scientists in seeking to successfully
handle the situation.
Particularly if no effort has been made to develop a working
relationship prior to the crisis, it is likely that emergency
managers and monitoring scientists will lack trust in the media
and its representatives and have reservations about its reliability
as a conduit for information dissemination. Much of this will
arise from a general perception of a conflict of interest between
the media and other key players in managing a crisis situation,
but probably also as a result of previous unsatisfactory contacts
with elements of the media.
Whether justified or not, journalists are commonly viewed as
being wary and suspicious and always on the look out for a 'good'
story, whatever the cost and collateral damage. They are perceived
- as a group - as having little regard for accuracy, and for
highlighting the theatrical and speculative at the expense of
the hard - if less dramatic - facts. Expectations are such that
involvement of the media in a crisis situation is widely held
to result in antagonism to managers and scientists, with the
hunt for stories leading to unwelcome pressures on other key
players and the filing of material based upon rumour, innuendo,
and unreliable information.
It is never going to be easy to overcome this widespread, negative
image, but if the media is |
to play a useful and effective role in the
management of a volcanic crisis it must work to
build trust with other key stakeholders. Ideally,
this should begin prior to the development of a
crisis situation, although for regional or global
players this is unlikely to be a realistic option.
Inevitably, the media will play a critical role in
warning dissemination during a volcanic crisis -
via the press, radio and television and (ideally)
the internet. The responsibility of the media can
be thought of as being two-fold. First, raising
general awareness of the volcanic threat, both
prior to and during the crisis, and second,
transmission of specific warnings issued by the
EMC in response to changes in the behaviour of
the volcano and in alert level status. The first of
these will be of most relevance to the local
media, but all media stakeholders should be
involved in the latter.
Work with the EMC and the monitoring scientists to regularly
publish or transmit information about the volcano and its status,
even when nothing is happening.
Publish frequent articles about the volcano observatory and
its work, including new staff arrivals, the applications of
new monitoring equipment, open days and public lectures
Regularly disseminate information about the alert system, how
warnings will be issued at time of crisis, and how the public
should respond.
Decide with the EMC and the monitoring scientists the style
that warnings will take. Focus on a simple and straightforward
style, the use of pictorial material, and the need to reach
all sections of the community.
Perfect effective and rapid lines of communication with the
EMC and monitoring scientists - via their media liaison representatives
- to be utilized at time of crisis.
Develop and update web pages focusing on the volcano and its
activity, the warning systems, and how information will be disseminated
during a crisis. |
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