Kim S. Haddow

Global warming, natural hazards, and emergency management

The Case for Adaptation (Risk Reduction), K. Haddow Planning and Protecting the Environment, J. Schwab, AICP, and K. Hohmann Federal Mitigation Programs: Collateral Stimulus to Reducing the Impacts of Climate Change in our Communities, J. Bullock, F. McCarthy, and B. Cowan Community-Based Hazard-Mitigation Case Studies, A. Patton and A. Chakos County/Regional-Based Hazard-Mitigation Case Studies, D. Dickson, R. Gross, and I. Pearce Conclusions and Recommendations, G. Haddow Appendix: Compilation of Reports, Web Sites, and Other Materials Related to Climate Change, D.P. Coppola

Chapter Nine – Case Studies

“Case Studies in Disaster Communications,” examines four case studies of the communications actions taken by governmental and non-governmental groups in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. With each of these disasters dependence on and use of social media increased. In the Boston Marathon bombings, Twitter was used by the Boston Police and the FBI to identify and track suspects; in Hurricane Sandy, government agencies and non-government agencies used social media to direct the public to shelters, food and fuel and connect loved ones; after the Earthquake and tsunami damaged nuclear power plants in Japan, citizens used crowd-sourcing tools to track the spread of radioactivity; and in Haiti, social media was used to direct rescue efforts to injured victims.

Chapter Eleven – Communicating During a Public Health Crisis

“Communicating during a Public Health Crisis,” examines how communicating to the public and media during a public health or safety emergency is different. In a serious crisis, all affected people take in information differently, process information differently and act on information differently. This chapter incorporates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) best advice for communicating during a public health crisis, including infectious disease outbreaks, bioterrorism, chemical emergencies, natural disasters, nuclear accidents and radiation releases and explosions. This chapter also explores the growing role of social media that is now being used for a variety of traditional and new purposes from distress calls to disease surveillance.

The Changing Media World

“The Changing Media World,” examines how the Internet and social media have transformed the way news is produced and consumed today. The move to audience-centered and user-generated news has had a profound effect on disaster communications. This chapter tracks the decline of traditional media – newspapers, radio and television – and examines the rise of social media and the increased dependence on Twitter, Facebook and other social media for both breaking and in-depth news coverage and analysis. This chapter details the steps newsgathering operations have taken to adapt to these changes and explore new media tools and trends of note to disaster communicators.

Principles of a Successful Communications Strategy

“Principles of a Successful Crisis Communications Strategy” A successful disaster communications strategy is built on a set of basic principles that ensure that emergency managers effectively communicate with their customers and partners in all four phases of emergency management—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. These principles provide guidance to emergency managers and other officials involved in emergency operations and programs on how to talk to their customers, how to ensure that they can talk to their customers, what to say and what not to say, how to be accurate and timely, when to talk, and how to connect to their customers when you talk. These principles combine basic directions on communicating effectively (i.e., be available, ensure there are adequate resources for communications, invest in media training) with a set of values (i.e., don’t lie, be informed, don’t make promises you can’t keep) that taken together should effectively guide emergency managers and others in communicating emergency management messages.

The “New” News Room

“How “New” News Operations Work,” looks at the changes in news gathering operations. Even though the staffs of most newsrooms have been cut, reporters are being asked to do more and to communicate across more platforms including online and through social media. The pace of change and technological innovation continues to transform news gathering and distribution and new forms of storytelling and public collaboration are evolving rapidly. This chapter examines how reporters and news gathering operations are adapting and seizing the opportunities created by social media tools and technologies to collect and deliver news more quickly and grow their audience. The chapter also examines future trends in newsgathering and distribution that will focus on tailoring content to mobile devices – the smartphone and tablet, and on geotargeting – prioritizing news delivery based on the mobile user’s location.

How to Adapt to the Changing Media Environment

“How to Adapt to the Changing Media Environment,” offers some very practical advice on how best to work with new newsrooms and the media. Working with the media—old and new—is core to effective disaster and emergency management communications. And working with the media has become increasingly important in these times of 24/7 news gathering and dissemination. The news hole will be filled—if not by official information channels, then by others. This chapter includes tips on relationship building, effective outreach, coordinating communications with other disaster agencies, best practices for monitoring and posting on social media and correcting inaccuracies. In addition, advice on how to be a good spokesperson, stay on message, and look and sound good on TV are included in this chapter.

Disaster Communications Audiences

“Disaster Communications Audiences” identifies four important audiences targeted for communications in a crisis: the general public; elected officials and community officials; partners and stakeholders; and the media and discusses what it takes for emergency officials to effectively communicate and work together with these four primary audiences. Communicating with these four primary audiences is no longer a one-way street for emergency officials. It is now a cooperative venture that will require new skills, protocols, and technologies to be employed to design, build, and maintain effective disaster communications. This chapter examines what it takes for emergency officials to communicate and work together with these four primary audiences.

Chapter One – Communications: The Critical Function

“Communications: The Critical Function” notes that communications is now universally accepted as a critical function in emergency management. The dissemination of timely and accurate information to the general public, elected and community officials, and the media plays a major role in the effective management of disaster response and recovery activities. This chapter defines the mission of an effective disaster communications strategy and outlines five critical assumptions that serve as the foundation for such a strategy. These assumptions include focusing on the customer; commitment from leadership to communicate; inclusion of communications specialists in all planning and operations; ongoing situational awareness; and, building an effective partnership with traditional and new media outlets. Examples of effective communications in disaster events and promoting disaster reduction efforts are examined in this chapter, as are examples of ineffective communications and the effect these failures had on disaster response operations.

Chapter Ten – Climate Change

“Climate Change” The consequences of climate change arte expected to intensify in the future and emergency and community planners must include climate change in their risk and needs assessments in order to identify and implement risk reduction measures and to better prepare for future disasters events. This chapter examines how climate change specialists are communicating climate change messages, especially those messages that concern extreme weather events and their impacts, discusses the similarities between climate change communications and disaster communications, and identifies what these two sectors can learn from each other and to how climate change and disaster communicators might work together in the future.