Kris Kodrich

On Line Disaster Response Community: People as Sensors of High Magnitude Disasters Using Internet GIS

The Indian Ocean tsunami (2004) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) reveal the coming of age of the on-line disaster response community. Due to the integration of key geospatial technologies (remote sensing - RS, geographic information systems - GIS, global positioning systems – GPS) and the Internet, on-line disaster response communities have grown. They include the traditional aspects of disaster preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, and policy as facilitated by governmental agencies and relief response organizations. However, the contribution from the public via the Internet has changed significantly. The on-line disaster response community includes several key characteristics: the ability to donate money quickly and efficiently due to improved Internet security and reliable donation sites; a computer-savvy segment of the public that creates blogs, uploads pictures, and disseminates information – oftentimes faster than government agencies, and message boards to create interactive information exchange in seeking family members and identifying shelters. A critical and novel occurrence is the development of “people as sensors” - networks of government, NGOs, private companies, and the public - to build rapid response databases of the disaster area for various aspects of disaster relief and response using geospatial technologies. This paper examines these networks, their products, and their future potential.

Teaching Citizen Science Skills Online: Implications for Invasive Species Training Programs

Citizen science programs are emerging as an efficient way to increase data collection and help monitor invasive species. Effective invasive species monitoring requires rigid data quality assurances if expensive control efforts are to be guided by volunteer data. To achieve data quality, effective online training is needed to improve field skills and reach large numbers of remote sentinel volunteers critical to early detection and rapid response. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of online static and multimedia tutorials to teach citizen science volunteers (n = 54) how to identify invasive plants; establish monitoring plots; measure percent cover; and use Global Positioning System (GPS) units. Participants trained using static and multimedia tutorials provided less (p < .001) correct species identifications (63% and 67%) than did professionals (83%) across all species, but they did not differ (p = .125) between each other. However, their ability to identify conspicuous species was comparable to that of professionals. The variability in percent plant cover estimates between static (±10%) and multimedia (±13%) participants did not differ (p = .86 and .08, respectively) from those of professionals (±9%). Trained volunteers struggled with plot setup and GPS skills. Overall, the online approach used did not influence conferred field skills and abilities. Traditional or multimedia online training augmented with more rigorous, repeated, and hands-on, in-person training in specialized skills required for more difficult tasks will likely improve volunteer abilities, data quality, and overall program effectiveness.

The Formation of a Disaster Community in Cyberspace: The Role of Online News Media after the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake

A devastating earthquake struck the Gujarat region of India on 26 January 2001, killing an estimated 20,000 people. Almost immediately, online news media began publishing details of the earthquake along with pleas for donations of money and other aid. In effect, a disaster-response community had formed in cyberspace. This study explores the role of the news media in the formation of that community. It examines how the online sites of three leading English-language Indian dailies - The Times of India, The Hindu and The Hindustan Times - disseminated information about the disaster to the outside world. The study shows the media followed good professional practices in focusing on human needs and not overemphasising foreign help. The media helped in the formation of a disaster-response community based on common interests as well as a geographic location of concern. This study illustrates the important role the online news media play in bringing together people concerned about one specific issue - in this case, the tragic earthquake in Gujarat.

Challenges and dangers of reporting in a tumultuous border region: how journalists at the El Paso Times deal with the violence in neighboring Ciudad Juarez

Journalists at the El Paso Times routinely cover violence in neighboring Ciudad Juarez, where thousands of men, women, and children have been murdered in recent years. Utilizing border theory and research involving journalists and trauma, this qualitative newsroom study examines how journalists at the El Paso Times are dramatically affected by their daily exposure to the unrelenting violence in this border region. The study recommends that newsroom management provide journalists with the necessary resources and support that will help them cope.

Finding a New Way: Nicaraguan Newspapers in a Globalized World

This study examines how Nicaraguan newspapers in the 1990s turned to non-Nicaraguan sources for ideas on how to better appeal to readers. The study is framed in the context of globalization. Using a combination of content analysis, survey, participant-observation, and interviews, this study finds that many Nicaraguan newspaper journalists clearly admire the journalism of other countries and seek the training of outsiders. Owners and managers of Nicaraguan newspapers also encourage and facilitate this foreign influence. The study finds Nicaraguan newspapers may be changing as a result of this mixing of cultures, yet there are also signs of resistance to these changes at one newspaper.

How Reporters React to Knight-Ridder's 25–43 Project

Knight-Ridders ambitious 25/43 Project in Florida helped newspapers focus on the need to better serve readers. But the journalists involved have mixed feelings.

Journalistic Ethics at the Border: How El Paso Times Journalists Balance Reporting the News and Protecting Their Sources

El Paso Times journalists routinely face ethical dilemmas as they cover difficult stories amid all of the violence in neighboring Ciudad Juarez. This ethnographic study, which utilizes participant-observation and in-depth interviews, examines how journalists deal with tough ethical choices. It reveals how reporters and editors at the El Paso Times consider the needs of the public and the ramifications of their stories. The journalists strive to be accurate and fair while protecting their sources and themselves. They weigh the importance of each story with its potential for risk.

The Media in Latin America

The idea of the course is to get students acquainted with Latin American theories, practices and representations about the Media. In order to provide a complex perspective, the course will begin with a reflection about globalization, identities and local cultures and their tensions with the constitution of a global culture. The second and most important part of the course are the Latin American researches, perspectives and representations about the media, their place in contemporary societies, their active participation in the constitution of identities and the role in the construction of an agenda. This is how the course will introduce not only Latin American perspectives but also a global vision that will allow students to articulate global and local problems from a critical point of view. The denaturalization of the media, the identification of their constructions, representations and selections are some of the objectives of the course: to re-read media practices as a way to reflect about everyday practices.