Disaster Communications in a Changing Media World
- 3rd Edition - October 15, 2022
- Imprint: Butterworth-Heinemann
- Authors: George Haddow, Kim S Haddow
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 0 6 1 1 - 1
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 8 4 7 7 - 5
Disaster Communications in a Changing Media World, Third Edition provides valuable information for navigating these priorities in the age of evolving media. The emergence of new me… Read more
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Request a sales quoteDisaster Communications in a Changing Media World, Third Edition provides valuable information for navigating these priorities in the age of evolving media. The emergence of new media like the Internet, email, blogs, text messaging, cell phone photos, and the increasing influence of first informers are redefining the roles of government and media. The tools and rules of communications are evolving, and disaster communications must also evolve to accommodate these changes and exploit the opportunities they provide. This book illuminates the path to effective disaster communication, including the need for transparency, increased accessibility, trustworthiness and reliability, and partnerships with the media.
- Includes case studies from recent disaster events
- Demonstrates how to use blog posts, text messages, and cell phone cameras, as well as government channels and traditional media, to communicate during a crisis
- Examines current social media programs conducted by FEMA, the American Red Cross, state and local emergency managers, and the private sector
- Explores how social media has emerged as a force in disaster communications
Emergency management professionals; security managers; homeland security directors; corporate communications and PR professionals; Students in emergency management and disaster preparedness programs
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Disasters are changing rapidly and so are disaster communications
- Chapter One. The changing media world
- Causes and consequences of the changing media world
- A case in point: COVID and the spread of misinformation
- Conclusion
- Chapter Two. Communications revolutions and today's news consumption and production trends
- Communication innovations lead to profound change
- Where do Americans get their news?
- Mobile phone ownership over time
- Internet use over time
- Social media use over time
- Demographic profiles and party of regular social media news users in the United States
- Television
- Time adults spend on media continues to climb
- How the media covers disasters: three fundamentals
- Using live blogging
- Making it visual
- Managing misinformation
- Conclusion
- Chapter Three. Technology is driving changes in disaster communications
- Social media
- Social media and the public
- Social media in the newsroom
- Social media and disaster communications
- Social media features designed for use during disasters
- New and old technologies that support disaster communications
- Immersive technologies
- Conclusion
- Chapter Four. Disaster coverage past and present
- How did this evolution occur?
- New tools and new technologies profoundly change how disasters are covered—and who covers them
- The emergence of social media as a disaster communications tool
- The Asian tsunami (2004)
- The London transit bombings (2005)
- Hurricane Katrina (2005)
- California Wildfires (2007)
- Virginia Tech Shootings (2007) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) Shootings (2008)
- Myanmar cyclone and China’s Sichuan Earthquake (2008)
- Haiti Earthquake (2010)
- Tuscaloosa and Joplin Tornados (2011)
- Hurricane Sandy (2012)
- Boston Marathon Bombings (2013)
- Western Drought (2013–22)
- Hurricane Harvey (2017)
- Hurricane Ida (2021)
- Conclusion
- Chapter Five. Communications: The critical function
- Mission
- Fundamentals of a successful communications strategy
- Fundamental: build communications partnerships
- Identify trusted community leaders who can facilitate communications in disadvantaged neighborhoods
- Work with all media—traditional and social
- Fundamental: invest in communications staff, training, and technology
- Hire and maintain professional staff
- Invest in ongoing training for staff
- Invest resources in communications
- Bring communications staff to the table
- Run all decisions through the communications filter
- Develop communication strategies to support operations
- Create communications strategies to promote plans
- Secure media training for yourself and staff
- Fundamental: collect and analyze information to gain situational awareness
- Invest in information collection
- Invest in information management
- Use only confirmed information
- Make decisions based on good information
- Fundamental: deliver timely and accurate information
- Work on your audience's schedule and not your own
- Recognize language and cultural differences among your audiences
- Respect functional and access needs populations and take action to meet their specific communications needs
- Be the central source of information for the media and the public
- Be available and accessible to the media
- Be consistently accessible to the media
- Assure the audience who is in charge
- Share information
- Be empathic
- Be accountable
- Do not lie
- Do not talk about what you do not know
- Do not talk about actions of other organizations
- Do not make promises you cannot keep
- Be informed
- Be consistent
- Acknowledge the conversation
- Focus on performance
- Do not hold onto information—share it
- Conduct regular updates
- Conduct special updates when new information emerges
- Make the incident commander available to the media
- Work with elected and appointed officials
- Support your public information officer
- Make technical staff available to the media
- Include officials from other emergency agencies
- Provide safe access to the disaster site
- Conclusion
- Chapter Six. Application of communications fundamentals to all four phases of emergency management
- Communications fundamentals
- Mitigation
- Preparedness programs and actions
- Social media data prepares emergency managers for the next disaster
- Response
- Recovery
- Conclusion
- Chapter Seven. Disaster communications audiences
- The public
- Elected officials and community leaders
- Partners and stakeholders
- Traditional media and social media
- Conclusion
- Chapter Eight. How to adapt to the changing media environment
- Social media as a critical and indispensable element in disaster and crisis communications
- Media relations 101
- Tips for interacting with the media and the public
- Getting emergency information to—and from—the media
- Social media
- Working with reporters
- Press conferences and briefings
- Using visuals
- Handouts
- Reality check
- Keys to all successful media outreach
- Interview tips
- Appearing on television
- Chapter Nine. Four case studies
- Texas winter storm case study
- Wildfires case study
- Covid case study
- Hurricane Katrina – Hurricane Ida case study
- Chapter Ten. Building an effective disaster communications capability in a changing media world
- Introduction
- A communication plan
- Information coming in
- Information going out
- Messengers
- Staffing
- Training and exercises
- Monitoring, updating, and adapting
- Resources
- Conclusion
- Index
- Edition: 3
- Published: October 15, 2022
- Imprint: Butterworth-Heinemann
- No. of pages: 210
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780323906111
- eBook ISBN: 9780323984775
GH
George Haddow
George Haddow currently serves as Senior Fellow at the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy (DRLA) at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and previously served as an Adjunct Faculty and Research Scientist, Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management, George Washington University in Washington, DC. at Prior to joining academia, Mr. Haddow worked for eight years in the Office of the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the White House Liaison and the deputy Chief of Staff. He is a founding partner of Bullock & Haddow LLC, a disaster management consulting firm.
Affiliations and expertise
Principal, Bullock & Haddow LLC, Senior Fellow, Disaster Resilience Leadership Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USAKH
Kim S Haddow
Kim Haddow is the president of Haddow Communications in New Orleans – a company specializing in strategic media planning, messaging, and developing research-driven media content, branding and advertising materials for non-profits. Clients have included: the Rockefeller Family Fund, Sierra Club, Make It Right Foundation, U.S. State Department, Public Campaign, and the Trust for America’s Health. Haddow also worked for eight years at Greer, Margolis, Mitchell, Burns (GMMB), a Washington, DC- based media consulting firm, advising political campaigns and non-profits. Haddow began her career at WWL-AM in New Orleans where she managed the news department
Affiliations and expertise
National Communications Director, Sierra ClubRead Disaster Communications in a Changing Media World on ScienceDirect