Media & Communications in Emergencies

March 2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org

Media and Communications in Emergencies

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Oxfam video about hygiene promo5on in northern Hai5, 2010


Journalist in Aleppo, Syria. Photo: AFP

Who is “the media”?

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The Commi)ee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that in 2012:67 journalists died because they were journalists-‐ 32 were murdered-‐ 12 were on dangerous assignments-‐ 25 were caught in the crossfire or in combat

232 journalists were imprisoned for their profession in 2012.

These are journalists…

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CPJ report continued -

Syria was by far the deadliest country in 2012, with 28 journalists killed in combat or targeted for murder by government or opposi?on forces. In addi?on, a journalist covering the Syrian conflict was killed just over the border in Lebanon.

With internaConal journalists blocked and tradiConal domesCc media under state control, ciCzen journalists picked up cameras and notepads to document the conflict—and at least 13 of them paid the ulCmate price. One, Anas al-‐Tarsha, was only 17 years old. At least five of the ci?zen journalists worked for Damascus-‐based Shaam News Network, whose videos have been used extensively by interna?onal news organiza?ons.

hGp://cpj.org/2013/02/aGacks-‐on-‐the-‐press-‐in-‐2012.php

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http://cpj.org/2013/02/attacks-on-the-press-in-2012.php

http://cpj.org/2013/02/attacks-on-the-press-in-2012.php


This is also a member of the media:

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Glenn Beck, formerly of Fox News, USA


What is the media?

The media is a means to an end, not an end in itself. It is a channel for communicaQng informaQon – whether biased or unbiased – to a chosen audience.

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Means for communicating

Print (newspapers, magazines, etc) Television Radio On the Internet:• Social media (Facebook, TwiGer)

• Email (newsleGer)

• Dedicated website (example: Huffington Post)

• Blogs

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Flickr, NS Newsflash

Who makes the decisions about what they report?

What is their bias? Who funds them and how much? Who is their audience?


Some questions to ask yourself about media outlets:

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To work with the media…

You have to understand them.

You can’t just reflexively scapegoat them.

Have a posiQve but cauQous aftude.

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AnQ-‐corrupQon acQvist gives an interview on Austrian radio, 2012


What is communications in emergencies?

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Communica5ons in emergencies isn’t always as ‘glamorous’ as this!


Communication is advocacy

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Ways to reach the public

Through the channel of the media

Speak directly to the public

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Pakistan Red Crescent/IFRC public communica5ons ini5a5ve in Pakistan, 2010

hIp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1gvgnBlvf8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1gvgnBlvf8





Who are you trying to reach?

The people you’re trying to communicate with are called your “targets”

Who your targets are will be determined by your objecQve for a given communicaQons acQvity

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Potential targets: in the disaster area People affected by the emergency People receiving assistance from your organizaQon (beneficiaries)

Decision-‐makers (community leaders, local authoriQes, naQonal authoriQes)

InternaQonal community (representaQves in the disaster area)

Donors (in the disaster area)

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Potential targets: external

The general public (awareness-‐raising, pressure group on decision-‐makers)

Donors Decision-‐makers (foreign governments, UN) ExisQng supporters (for grassroots acQvism, pressure group on decision-‐makers)

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What are your objectives?

Will vary by your targets But generally, they are:• Inform people about the situaQon

• Seek to influence people to take acQon or make a certain decision that will affect the situaQon

• Raise funds for your programs

• Strengthen your organizaQonal brando a strong brand facilitates all of the above

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Interviews: the good…

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Oxfam’s Marcel Stoessel speaks to al-‐Jazeera television from Kinshasa in 2010. The video quality is poor, but Stoessel delivers a basic but compelling message with a strong voice. hIp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30_3ll233mM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30_3ll233mM






Interviews: the bad (and ugly)

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In this 30-‐minute al-‐Jazeera documentary on Hai5 six months aZer the 2010 earthquake, several officials show what not to do in an interview: flat-‐out denial before the ques5on is fully posed; lack of sympathy for vic5ms; lack of demonstrated understanding of the situa5on.hIp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx2EQxZ7MXQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx2EQxZ7MXQ









What would you do?1. You're a nurse in a cholera treatment center and you're tending to pa?ents in

urgent need of IVs. Suddenly you see several people enter with cameras, and they have badges to show they're from the Associated Press. They're walking around the clinic taking pictures of the pa?ents. What do you do?

2. Figh?ng in the countryside has caused 150,000 IDPs to flee to the main city. Just as they're arriving a huge rainstorm hits. The newspaper The Bangkok Post calls and asks what's happening to the IDPs and what your organiza?on is doing about it. What do you say?

3. You're a doctor with the Red Cross and you've had to temporarily close your clinic because there are poli?cal riots and neither your healthcare workers nor pa?ents can access the clinic (riots are blocking roads). Al-‐Jazeera calls and wants to have your comment about the clinic closure and the poli?cal violence. What do you say?

4. You're out in rural Kenya, mee?ng community leaders about a project your organiza?on is shu]ng down. Your phone rings and it's the BBC in London, calling to ask for your comment about reports they've received that your country director is embezzling funds. You've never heard of this before. What do you say to the person on the phone? What do you a^er you get off the phone?

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Prac5ce scenarios for break-‐out groups, followed by group discussion


If you have an interview request…

First, find out as many details as you can about the interviewer and the interview.

Do not agree immediately to the interview if you’re not authorized to speak to the press, or unsure if you should.

Before agreeing, you must seek approval from your organizaQon (unless you are already authorized).

Ask yourself: do you have a media or communicaQons officer on your team?• Yes? Terrific! Speak with him/her immediately.• No? Get prepared.

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Yes! I have a media officer on my team Your media officer will help you:

oDetermine if you should do an interviewo Learn some basic media skillsoCommunicate your organiza?on's key messagesoAvoid crossing red linesoUnderstand the journalist and media organiza?on you'll be speaking with

oUnderstand basic "rules of play” of interviews (on-‐the-‐record/off-‐the-‐record, etc)

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You don’t have a media officer?

Do you want to do this interview? Does your organizaQon want you do this interview?

Can you do this interview well? Is this interview worthwhile?

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Will you get too nervous in the studio?


If you do the interview…

Some things to consider before the interview:• Familiarize yourself with the terms of the interview (on or off the record, when is publicaQon, etc)

• Develop a few key messages

• Look up the right words, pracQce pronunciaQon• Know your red lines (what won’t you say?)• PracQce your key messages

• Think about what you'll wear and your body language (be comfortable, project a good image)

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During the interview

Don’t feel rushed Be passionate Talk to your nice Aunt Jane • i.e., somebody who has natural human empathy and is smart, but is not an expert on the subject

Talk about PEOPLE!

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A Red Cross delegate speaks with a journalist, Hai5, 2010


What can a media officer do for me? Informs and influences to create posiQve change Creates appropriate preparatory material Excellent understanding of situaQon and context A good trainer and supporQve coach Knows target audiences and explains them to you Monitors the media and shares analysis Builds capacity of local staff; strong understanding of local media

Supports the program and the people you’re assis<ng!

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The state of the media today Journalism rules and ethics• Yes, they exist. E.g.: hGp://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Cut budgets -‐-‐> diminished coverage Mindless fill?: the 24-‐hour news cycle Sponsored media visits/media imbeds• Big coverage, quesQonable ethics?

The future: mobile devices, the Internet, ciQzen journalism hGp://sm4good.com/2013/03/19/presentaQon-‐social-‐media-‐emergency-‐response-‐operaQons/

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http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp




http://sm4good.com/2013/03/19/presentation-social-media-emergency-response-operations/

http://sm4good.com/2013/03/19/presentation-social-media-emergency-response-operations/

Media & Communications in Emergencies

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