Disasters and Media: A world to win

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 10 November 2009 - 1:00pm | By Laurens Nijzink

When a natural disaster hits, it is important that people know what they have to do to survive. The role of the media is essential. This is something journalists in countries which are frequently affected by disasters ought to know. But climate change means hurricanes and floods are taking place in regions that are unfamiliar with coping with disasters.

"It’s not more science that we need, but more stories," says Eelco Dykstra, professor in Emergency Management. Professor Dijkstra is one of the speakers at an international two-day conference of broadcasters, the Asia-Pacific and Europe Media Dialogue. The conference is partly organised by Radio Netherlands Worldwide and is currently being held in Amsterdam.

"Scientific graphs and scientific information are unappealing. They don’t grab the imagination or engage the minds of laymen. So if you want to get ordinary people involved, you have to give them a story that grips them. There is no better way to make them feel personally responsible for a problem: 'What do you think, what would you do, what do you expect somebody else to do for you, what can you do yourself?' You have to make it come alive. Then people start thinking. And once they start thinking, they get involved. The biggest problem many governments have is that they want to tell the people what to do, but they do not explain why."

Compelling scenario

Professor Dykstra illustrates how important the media is by using a compelling scenario. In it Europe is hit by a tremendous storm, not unlike hurricane Katrina, which hit the US coast in 2005. The professor identifies four critical points in the story:

1. Two weeks before the storm. How well is Europe prepared to deal with such an emergency?
2. Two days before the storm. What can the media do to help get as many people as possible to safety?
3. A week after the storm. By now it is clear how much damage has been done. The need for information becomes greater. It ranges from practical matters, such as ‘where can we get food?’) to emotional matters, such as the search for loved ones.
4. The start of reconstruction work.

Professor Dykstra based his 'What if' story on his research on the hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans. There are a number of striking similarities between the Netherlands and the area around New Orleans, for instance both are below sea-level.

Times of crisis

Professor Dykstra stresses that in times of crisis, it is important that national and local governments work closely with the media:

"The role and the importance of the media are far greater than the sector realises. It is the cohesive glue between the government and the population. Far too often there is a lack of trust between the authorities and the public. If you think you can do crisis management when there is no trust between the two, you are badly mistaken."

Although it sounds contradictory, this means the media needs to have a critical attitude towards the authorities, especially before and after an emergency.

Journalists have to make it clear to people what the government is doing to prevent disasters and what preparations have been made for a tsunami, flood or hurricane, as well as what plans have been made to deal with the aftermath. To put it in Professor Dykstra's words: "If the people don't know what the government is doing for them, then they won’t be able to decide what to do for themselves".

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