INFORMTHE CBA JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING issue 1 | april 2012

ABC MD, MARK SCOTT, ON THE ROLE OF PSB IN DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES

GOOGLE.ORG ON CRISIS MAPPING AND THE POWER OF ONLINE TOOLS

REUTERS INSTITUTE FELLOW, MONIKA KALCSICS, ON MEDIA THIS ISSUE AND AID AGENCIES MEDIA LEADERSHIP

PANOS PICTURES IN CRISIS, DISASTER PHOTO ESSAY AND EMERGENCY CONTENTS

3 editor's note FROM THE SECRETARY-GENERAL CBA Secretary-General, Sally-Ann Wilson, introduces the first edition of Inform

4 opinion CRISIS: WHO THE PUBLIC TURN TO Mark Scott, Managing Director of ABC, on the role of PSBs in disasters and emergencies

8 features BRINGING DISASTERS ONLINE Crisis Response on the power of the internet and online tools in disaster response

11 HOW WE REPORT THE WORLD Dr Martin Scott on the coverage of crises, disasters and emergencies

14 A WAR ON JOURNALISTS William Horsley on issues of safety affecting international journalists

17 COVERING EMERGENCY: A GUIDE Debbie Ransome on the skills needed to cover disasters and emergencies

20 TALKING TRAUMA Gavin Rees on issues around trauma when reporting on crises, disasters and emergencies

22 PHOTO ESSAY Images from Panos Pictures, illustrate the impact of crises, disasters and emergencies

25 A LIVING DOCUMENT Siobhann Tighe reviews a Tongan documentary on the aftermath of the 2009 tsunami

Panos Pictures is a photo agency specialising 37-year-old Josephine Mpongo 27 EDUCATE AND INFORM practises the cello in the Arya Gunawan Usis on the role of PSBs in the aftermath of crises, disasters and emergencies in global social issues, known internationally Kimbanguiste neighbourhood for its fresh and intelligent approach and of Kinshasa. She plays with 31 NO WOMAN’S LAND the Kimbanguiste Symphony Hannah Storm on safety and the experience of women journalists covering emergencies willingness to pursue stories beyond the Orchestra, who practise here five days per week. contemporary media agenda. Representing ANDREW MCCONNELL | PANOS PICTURES 33 A REPORTING DISASTER? over 100 photographers worldwide, Panos Monika Kalcsics on the interdependent relationship between media and aid agencies

has an established record of reporting through 36 in focus photography and film. 38 briefing

Panos is happy to support the CBA in this 40 technical briefing first volume of Inform, the General Conference

in Brisbane and its long term aim of supporting 42 bibliography free and independent media through Public published by the isbn 978-0-9561429-8-6 editor images Service Broadcasting. cba secretariat Charlotte Jenner Panos Pictures 17 fleet street price £35 [email protected] www.panos.co.uk telephone london +44 20 7253 1424 views expressed herein ec4y 1aa the cba is a not-for- advertising print are not necessarily those united kingdom profit company Adam Weatherhead Hobbs the Printers Ltd email held by the cba limited by guarantee [email protected] Brunel Road [email protected] t +44 (0)207 583 5550 registration number: Totton cover image: , july f +44 (0)207 583 5549 3561848 design Hampshire SO40 3WX web 2011 © dean chapman, email [email protected] vat registration birdy United Kingdom www.panos.co.uk panos pictures web www.cba.org.uk number: 726486410 www.birdy.co.uk www.hobbs.uk.com multimedia www.vimeo.com/panospictures updates www.twitter.com/panospictures | editor's note FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL

Welcome to Inform, the new journal of International Public Service Broadcasting from the CBA. The CBA's Secretary-General, Sally-Ann Wilson, sets out plans for the journal, its purpose and strategy. author Sally-Ann Wilson

The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) was an intelligent and accessible specialist journal, available established in 1945 to support and promote the qualities both in hard copy and via the web, would be of value that remain central to Public Service Broadcasting (PSB), to members. I was recently fascinated to discover how namely media freedom and broadcast excellence. Today much research and comment was generated by the the CBA is the largest global association of Public Service academic world about public broadcasting. I was also Broadcasters, providing a unique forum for global surprised by how little of this debate reached the senior broadcasting organisations to share knowledge and managers who were practitioners and leaders of public experience, as broadcasting evolves in the digital era. broadcasting globally. Since being appointed Secretary-General in 2010 Our aim is for Inform to provide a bridge between the I have worked with the team at the CBA Secretariat to academic analysis of Public Service Broadcasting and the refocus and consolidate the association. Our core purpose views and experience of senior managers working within going forward is to support Public Service Broadcasters the industry. It is our intention to publish two volumes through digital transition. Digital switchover provides both a year, providing a stand-alone guide to the topics that challenges and opportunities for PSBs. There is no doubt concern both commentators and practitioners of PSB. that the Internet has democratised public access and Trust and relevance are accepted as central pillars engagement with the media, however, many of us share for the future of PSB and it is at times of national crisis the belief that broadcasting still provides an essential that audiences turn to Public Service Broadcasters for public media space for people to come together and the essential information on which they can rely. This share news and views, tragedy and triumph. first volume of Inform focuses on the theme of the 29th Lord Reith, the first Director General of the BBC, CBA General Conference in Brisbane, ; Media established the principles that public broadcasting should Leadership in Crisis, Disaster and Emergency, follow; to educate, inform and entertain. With so much highlighting situations when to be informed is vital. choice available in a digital media world, entertainment is We welcome feedback and, above all, we hope you certainly a key factor for audiences, while the notions of enjoy reading Inform. ‘educating’ and ‘informing’ have perhaps become less central. The web has undoubtedly enabled audiences to become producers but in an age of information overload broadcasters are still required. It is broadcasting that can use its wealth of experience to cut through the noise and provide trusted and relevant information to audiences. Much of the information and news about the CBA is available via our website, but we also recognised that sally-ann wilson, secretary-general, cba.

issue 1 | 3 opinion | crisis: who the public turn to | opinion CRISIS: WHO THE PUBLIC TURN TO

Managing Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Mark Scott, discusses the important role of PSB during times of crisis, disaster and emergency.

author Mark Scott

photography Panos Pictures, London & ABC News

It’s the 2nd March. Autumn began in Sydney yesterday. As situation and road conditions, every piece of information, and heard just about everywhere, is the engine room of "I would have been lost without the ABC" when people I write this, police and emergency workers are preparing relevant and local, is getting out to the communities the emergency broadcasting. Each station has established talk about their experiences. to evacuate people from the Hawkesbury river region, just ABC serves. To ensure comprehensive coverage, talkback is relationships with emergency, police and rescue agencies. No one is waiting until a disaster unfolds to understand north of Sydney. State Emergency Service crews have already also turned over to these updates and information. Local radio staff live in the regions their stations cover. They the risks or to provide information – it is happening well in helped almost two thousand people to get away, many in Even though we are not funded for it and it does not endure the same disasters their listeners endure. Every step advance. In Darwin, for instance, at the start of the cyclone flood boats. Weekend rains are expected to tip swollen appear in our Charter, emergency broadcasting is so readily forward, every setback that affects the community, they are season, we run a Cyclone Awareness Week. Someone from rivers over the edge. Dams are overflowing. Evacuation identified in the public mind with the ABC that in a crisis, a part of. This ‘localness’ is an important element of the local radio also usually takes part in the meetings of State orders have gone out in Goulburn, Cowra, Cooma and the public naturally turns to us. It reflects the special place trust that people place in the information they are getting Emergency Management Committees. Bega on the south coast. Highways have been cut. Bridges we occupy in public life. If the matter is serious, Australians from the ABC. Yet no matter how familiar each crisis and disaster seems are expected to follow. In Australia’s national capital, are confident the ABC will give it the coverage it warrants. Each ABC local station has an Emergency Broadcasting or how much each has in common, the unpredictable and Canberra, Lake Burley Griffin (the National Gallery, These are the kinds of expectations that come with the job Plan, reviewed annually, which ensures emergency warnings the unprecedented are also intrinsic to it. This has meant National Museum and the High Court sit on its shores) has of all public broadcasting and living up to them is one part are broadcast repeatedly and for as long as necessary. Since we keep learning each time there is an emergency, about been closed for a week because of contamination. There of the responsibility we have. conflicting information is so dangerous, we have a network the communities we serve and about ourselves, lasting are major flood warnings for the Murray River, which Over the past decade the ABC has provided emergency alert system, a single source of information used to ensure lessons about what we can plan and just as significantly, spans three Australian states and emergency crews are at broadcasting during fires, cyclones, heatwaves, tsunamis, the same alerts get to air. In these situations, information what we cannot. work in Victoria’s north, sandbagging properties where equine flu outbreaks, storms and epic floods. We have been is preparation, sometimes a matter of life or death, it has As Managing Director, I am part of an ABC crisis floods are expected this weekend. I have just looked at the there during locust plagues as well. These almost biblical to be fast, accurate and comprehensive. As wave after wave management team of senior executives and managers that ABC’s emergency site, which aggregates all the available displays of nature’s power occurred in every State and Territory of information, often anecdotal and unverified, is rushing works throughout the country. Every year, those in the information about emergencies, and see there are currently in the country and ABC staff worked through them round the through the social networks, the ABC is regarded as a rock team practice how to handle a range of crises, including 22 warnings and alerts in New South Wales and the clock, seven days a week, providing emergency broadcasting in a raging sea. People are increasingly following us on natural disasters – far beyond anything we experience in our Australian Capital Territory and a further 14 in Victoria. services for as long as was needed. and Facebook and getting ABC information on regular roles. We take part in drills and simulated scenarios Throughout all this ABC local radio stations in the The ABC is not short on emergency broadcasting digital radios, phones and tablets, and online. that require very quick decisions and responses. This helps regions affected by these rains and floods will be switched experience, everyone here can tell you the difference Yet instinctively, when the lights go out and the wind is us to identify risks and vulnerabilities and prepare for into emergency broadcasting mode. Providing alerts, between El Niño and La Niña. The ABC’s local radio howling, people connect with ABC radio. So many times unfamiliar, fast changing and stressful situations where we weather updates, flood warnings, news about the power network, sixty stations spread across the entire country during emergencies we hear, “I was glued to the radio” or will not necessarily have all the information.

4 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 5 opinion | crisis: who the public turn to | opinion them, that largely invisible support network of partners and families and loved ones. From our experience at the “Rolling coverage is a relentless, hungry ABC we have found there are two phases – there is what a beast. Information must flow as rapidly as community experiences when the fire goes through or the flood waters rise and then there is what you go through the waters and winds are rising. The same when the fires have gone or the waters have receded. questions must be asked and answered That is when advice is particularly important – in a again and again. What has happened? community that has been through a traumatic event you have to recognise that people will be very tired and very What is on the way?” sensitive. If it starts to rain again, for instance, they brace themselves to relive what they have just come through. disasters are in full swing, being there for the aftermath Someone said it is like a collective midlife crisis. People ask: too, we can provide a sense of continuity at a time when "What am I investing my life in? Is there more than this?” continuity and sometimes hope, seem to be in short supply. But you do not tend to reach for the manual at those People who have suffered and lost need to know they times either. have not been forgotten and that the support will not As he looked at Brueghel’s Icarus, W H Auden observed stop there. The story of the aftermath, the rebuilding and “how everything turns away quite leisurely from the recovery must also be told. disaster … the expensive delicate ship that must have seen After Victoria had experienced the greatest tragedy We review the crisis management program regularly. We floods and then cyclones. Then the rains returned. During something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky… had in its history, the fires of February 2009, we developed get external advice. I keep two copies of a crisis management unprecedented flooding, lives were lost in places all over somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.” What W H guidelines for ‘recovery broadcasting’. Just as during the life folder, one at home and one at the office, in case something the state – Bundaberg, the Lockyer Valley, Toowoomba and Auden understood of suffering so long ago is even more of an emergency we support communities best by working happens. It is a reminder of what we need to be thinking Brisbane. Then more again during cyclones, as Cyclone relevant in 21st century life, with its sped-up news cycle, with all the relevant emergency agencies, we also work with about when crisis hits. Prevent, prepare, respond, recover. Anthony led straight into Cyclone Yasi the next day. The tweets and Facebook updates, in which tragedy, like other the recovery agencies afterwards. We had the producers Yet while you can be well trained and a crisis plan is Premier later called it the ‘summer of sorrow’. stories, has our attention for a while before we simply move from ABC Open – who work with regional communities invaluable, so much still depends on a mix of adrenalin As that summer went on, ABC local radio staff all over on. to produce and publish photos, stories, videos and sound and instinct, which cannot be anticipated. Empathy the state were either in emergency broadcasting mode or in Life does inevitably go on after a disaster and people through the ABC – create an interactive online project, too. So much is happening in the moment that cannot the wake of it – mopping up, repairing, cleaning, helping who were struggling to put their lives back together after Aftermath, to follow the stories of people as they rebuilt be imagined – only experienced. So much relies on their communities get back on their feet – for months. the floods of 2011 soon found that attention had moved their lives and their communities following those disasters improvisation. But since improvisation without a plan is a For many of our staff, Christmas simply did not happen on to revolutions in the Middle East, to earthquakes in in 2011. Many of those who contributed their stories to bit like tennis without tennis balls, we plan a lot. We plan because people who were due for leave – holidays or long Christchurch or Japan. The struggle of those affected by Aftermath told us how sharing those stories was part of the everything we can to cover the known contingencies, plus service – gave it up to return to work. Their kids added new the floods to rebuild their lives was, however, still going on. healing process. It also helped all of us better understand what Rumsfeld memorably called the known unknowns. words, like evacuation and sandbags to their vocabulary. So when the disaster is over, it is particularly important what our fellow Australians were dealing with, long after Plans like these help get the job done but I am not sure They found out where to buy ice. They grew accustomed that as the nation’s public broadcaster, we are still there the waters had receded. The emergency may have passed, they make it any easier. Why is that? While no two disasters to the eerie sight of empty shelves at the supermarket. when the news crews and cameras have left and moved on but the work goes on. are the same, the toll they take on the people affected and Rolling coverage is a relentless, hungry beast. Information to the next assignment. By staying beyond the time the mark scott has been managing director of the australian public the broadcasters and emergency teams who serve those must flow as rapidly as the waters and winds are rising. service broadcaster, abc, since 2006. communities, seems to repeat itself in different towns and The same questions must be asked and answered again different circumstances at different times. and again. What has happened? What is on the way? Our Organisational vulnerability is one thing. The right people were galvanised by a sense of common purpose. procedures help you negotiate through this. But human Some turned away from their own losses and hardships to vulnerability is very different. Emergencies do not keep keep emergency broadcasts going. They drove themselves office hours. People are exhausted and stressed. Emotional hard, racing to keep up, because the turnover of events is Previous page: Residents of Berowra, Sydney, flee flames, 2002, © Dean Sewell, Panos Pictures resilience is hard to sustain under these conditions and so rapid. But they kept going, carried along sometimes on Opposite clockwise from left: Firemen battle flames in people are tested in ways we have no hope of imagining. nothing more than that rich and complex diet favoured Glenorie, Sydney, 2002, © Dean Sewell, Panos Pictures; In the Summer of 2011, Australia’s most northern state, by rescue workers everywhere – a sandwich, a cup of tea Aerial view of flood waters in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, 2009, © ABC News; Man surveys flood damage Queensland, went through some of the toughest times in and adrenalin. Many found that no matter how they from rooftop, Australia, 2009, © ABC News its history, a series of emergencies that began in December tried, sleep tenaciously evaded them.Of course none of Left: Charred road sign following 2009 Australian and did not let up for months. Heavy rains were followed by this was possible without all the people who stood behind bushfires, 2009, © Jocelyn Carlin, Panos Pictures

6 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 7 features | bringing disasters online | features geographically, and make it easier for and donation centre data from other assessments from thousands of miles BRINGING affected populations to find nearby individuals and organisations on a away. This information can help emergency resources. While many Google Map within their website. journalists and relief organisations DISASTERS people are familiar with UNOSAT took advantage of the API alike to navigate disaster zones for finding directions, responders and circulated the information to with, for example, crowd sourced ONLINE can easily create custom maps using relief organisations and local residents information on available roads. My Maps when they need to supply by publicising it through email, Following the recent 7.0 magnitude Google.org’s Crisis Response project critical crisis information to their podcasts, blogs, traditional and social earthquake in Haiti, we updated high- team outlines how the open Internet can teams or to the public. Broadcasters media. resolution satellite imagery from our be harnessed to improve the speed and clearly have a role to play here, as they Using the Internet and open partner GeoEye within 24 hours and effectiveness of disaster response. can easily take advantage of these web- tools to integrate flood and relief made it available for public use. This based visualisations to illustrate and information from various sources imagery and subsequent updates author target alerts, warnings and emergency means that anyone can have access continue to be used to conduct Dorothy Chou and Nigel Snoad information. to it and that we can automatically wide-scale damage assessments, plan photography In anticipation of the worst floods improve the accuracy of the response and recovery efforts, such as in 50 years to hit Thailand last information distributed to a wider clinic and hospital placements, and autumn, UNITAR’s Operational audience in a time of need. By working raise worldwide awareness of disasters Since ancient times, societies have accessible to affected populations and US Geological Survey (USGS), users Satellite Applications Programme with organisations like UNOSAT, today. invested in working out how to deploy responders. While our work is modest searching for local information will (UNOSAT) created maps using our government agencies and groups Finding loved ones is a further effective mass alerting systems. From in comparison to relief organisations receive those warnings. Users who products that displayed at-risk areas like ours to create and distribute very real, not to mention emotionally references to simple fire beacons being and governments, our experience has want more detailed information across the region. Collecting geo- these visualizations, broadcasters can charged, challenge in the wake of lit to signal the need for additional given us a unique vantage point on about the alert can choose to click referenced photos using an Android help ensure that critical emergency disasters and emergencies. Google troops, in Homer’s Iliad, to the French how powerful and robust Internet- ‘more info’, which will take them app called GEO-PICTURES, the information reaches those who need Crisis Response’s Person Finder is an Semaphore lines of the 19th century, based technologies can be when to a page that has a full description Asian Pacific Development Center it most. In fact, they often have the open-source web-based application used to relay warning signals across disasters strike. In particular, we of the warning with links to other could assess and monitor the potential widest reach. Four years ago, American that allows individuals to check and long distances, we have never given believe that broadcasters, Internet sites. For those interested in seeing and actual damage once flooding broadcast station KPBS created a map post on the status of relatives or up on meeting the challenge of a companies and relief organisations all active alerts that we collate in a began. that provided real-time updates on friends affected by a disaster. Before distributed communications system can work together more closely to single location, they are all displayed The information was published in the San Diego wildfires that received Person Finder was developed, those that will trigger public action in target emergency information to the at www.google.org/publicalerts. an open format – Keyhole Markup more than two million views within seeking missing loved ones had to sift response to a collective problem. right groups of people and not only All of this is possible solely because Language (KML) – meaning that just a few days. through multiple websites, posting the Today the Internet is starting generate awareness, but also provide these agencies have ensured that it could be easily accessible and To compare before-and-after same inquiries over and over, hoping to fill that role. Studies show that instructions that save lives. To do that, their information is available in open widely distributed. Any person or images, we often see broadcasters use that the person they were seeking people are increasingly going online we need governments to commit to formats like the Common Alerting organisation can take that KML, see , a virtual globe that happened to register with one of these to share and receive information, as open data in open formats. Protocol (CAP), which can easily be it over a map and easily determine provides great geographic detail and websites. In Haiti, for example, we well as to organise relief efforts when As a proof of concept for improved used by others to create visualisations whether or not a location is at-risk. allows extensive customisation. People noticed that there were 14 different disasters hit. Within the first 48 hours mass alerting systems that make use and distribute the alerts on their own Our team members also published can customise Google Earth with missing persons databases. They were following the earthquake in Sendai, of the open Internet, Google Crisis platforms. In the future, a mobile alert information, using the Google editing tools to draw shapes, add text not integrated, were all running on Japan, for example, Google.org saw Response launched a project called targeted specifically at those who are Maps Application Programming and integrate live feeds of information, different infrastructure and all had 36 million page views of our Internet- Google Public Alerts earlier this directly impacted may help increase Interface (API), to make it possible such as earthquakes, as they happen. a different amount of data, which based Person Finder tool. Similarly year. The Public Alerts platform is the chance of getting to safety. It for UNOSAT to embed their data, In extreme circumstances, we also together represented all missing in response to the earthquake in designed to bring relevant emergency may even be possible to give specific along with contributions such as work with partners to provide updated persons records. Christchurch, New Zealand last year, alerts when and where users search for evacuation instructions and shelter photos, road closures, shelter locations satellite imagery for quick damage To make this process more effective university students came together on them on Google Maps. When major information to different people based and efficient, while continuing to Facebook to coordinate rapid relief weather, public safety or earthquake on their location. “Four years ago, American broadcast station KPBS leverage the power of crowdsourced efforts. alerts are distributed from the US Beyond supplying relevant alerts, created a map that provided real-time updates on the information, our team built Google Google’s Crisis Response team is National Oceanic and Atmospheric Google Maps and Earth can also Person Finder to act as a central dedicated to building tools that make Administration (NOAA), the help organisations visualise regions San Diego wildfires that received more than two million database, pushing and pulling the emergency information more readily , and the at risk, the location of relief assets views within just a few days.” feeds from all 14 databases and

8 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 9 features | bringing disasters online | features

Previous page: Google Crisis Response map giving Below: Google Earth before and after views of refugee Queensland while flying a helicopter, Hurricane warning information for Hurricane Irene camps in Haiti locating people in distress in the HOW WE aftermath of last year’s flooding. He and his team worked around the clock REPORT throughout the crisis and rescued 43 people from rooftops and treetops in THE WORLD the town of Grantham. Without open and licensed mapping data available Dr Martin Scott argues for the well ahead of the disaster, that effort importance of balanced coverage may never have been possible. of crises and considers the role Google Crisis Response encourages of media leadership. allowing users to search across the data slows collaboration and response broadcasters, governments and information in all of the databases. time. The troubling truth is that organisations to use our tools to author Dr Martin Scott Google Person Finder accepts many organisations gathering missing increase awareness of both the information in a common machine- persons information, for example, technical and non-technical aid that photography readable format called PFIF (People as well as other critical data such as is necessary to prepare for and recover Panos Pictures, London Finder Interchange Format), which public health information, continue from a disaster. Specific steps they can was created by Hurricane Katrina to do so on paper. The result is that take include: In this article I argue that the of the country affected (CARMA received by Hurricane Katrina, volunteers in 2005. Our team worked we find boxes of unprocessed forms 1) getting familiar with our importance of media leadership International 2006). which hit the in 2005, around the clock to build and launch sitting in offices long after we have lost products and joining lists for during crises, disasters and Professor Simon Cottle from and Hurricane Stanley, which hit Person Finder in less than 72 hours the chance to use them to help people. distribution of materials so they can emergencies extends not only to Cardiff University describes this as a Guatemala a few weeks later. Or the during the early days of the crisis During the Black Saturday fires of be the first to receive them, questions of how the media respond ‘calculus of death’ (2008:43), whereby Kashmir earthquake in 2003, which in Haiti. We have now made this 2009 in Victoria, Australia, Google 2) ensuring that alerting and other to such events in their own countries, judgements over which disasters attracted similar media interest to resource available in more than 42 became a firsthand witness to these emergency data is available in open but to if and how they report on receive coverage and which do not the earthquake in Bam, though languages. difficulties. Hoping to use our formats like CAP, unencumbered by crises occurring elsewhere. I also are based on crude body counts and causing 3.5 times as many deaths The product is purposefully simple, technology to assist in some way, our licensing restrictions and suggest that such media leadership thresholds as well as proximities of (Cottle 2008:46). Indeed, a recently fast and easy to use. This means that engineers contacted the government 3) distributing information, such should extend to ensuring that crises, geography, culture and economics. published content analysis of Flemish different sites can update missing asking for emergency information in as shelter locations, escape routes disasters and emergencies are not the This ‘terrible calculus’, he argues, has news media coverage shows that over persons lists automatically using the order to help surface it on a map. We and emergency plans, ahead of time, only occasions in which other parts of ‘seemingly become institutionalised 70% of all disasters in the world do common format – and broadcasters found, however, that the agency that possibly in a KML format to be shared the world appear in the media. and normalized in the professional not receive any coverage (Joye 2010). and media can help drive that traffic. held emergency data did not have it in across a map. There are two conventional sets judgments, practices and news values Every year Médecines Sans For example, The New York Times, an open format and would not license When collaboration occurs in of claims about media coverage of of the western media’ (2008:47). Frontières (MSF) publishes a list of CNN, NPR and a number of other it for third party use. Nevertheless, advance of a disaster, rather than disasters. The first relates to which The consequence of this is that ten humanitarian issues and crises websites quickly integrated Person we decided to create a flash map in the middle of an emergency, the disasters get covered and which do a relatively small number of crises, in the world that received little Finder following the earthquake and and convert their data for public probability of expedited relief and not. It is relatively uncontroversial disasters and emergencies receive media attention. Recently these have tsunami in Japan, increasing the reach consumption. The map was widely recovery increases tremendously. We to claim that there is often little disproportionally large amounts of included crises in Somalia, Sudan and and resulting in a more complete used by the media and responders believe that by adopting new models correlation between the severity of a coverage while other, often seemingly the Democratic Republic of Congo list of missing persons. In total, we alike. of crisis response that leverage the crisis and the amount of coverage it more traumatic events, receive very (DRC) as well as issues such as HIV/ managed more than 600,000 records Since then our experience has power of the open Internet, all of us receives. Indeed, a study of Western little. Oft-cited examples of this AIDS, malaria and malnutrition. of missing people. changed dramatically, as the Australian can fundamentally shift the way we media reporting of six relatively include the disparity in coverage Without media leadership that But the ability of the Internet government has quickly become one approach and manage disasters to save recent major disasters by CARMA to capitalize on its potential of of the most forward looking national and improve lives around the world. International concluded that, ‘there “Every year Médecines Sans Frontières (MSF) publishes assisting in crises depends on governments in addressing disaster dorothy chou is the senior policy analyst appears to be no link between the scale companies, governments and relief, for example, by promoting the and nigel snoad is the product manager of a disaster and media interest in the a list of ten humanitarian issues and crises in the world at google crisis response. for more organisations improving how they use of CAP for all emergency alerts. information on google crisis response story’ (2006:6). Other factors that that received little media attention. Recently these have share information. Using divergent Mark Kempton, winner of a 2011 visit: www.google.org/crisisresponse determine the amount of coverage or closed standards or imposing Pride of Australia award, used Google a disaster receives include cultural included crises in Somalia, Sudan and the Democratic licensing restrictions on mapping Maps on his mobile phone to navigate affinity and geopolitical significance Republic of Congo (DRC).”

10 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 11 features | how we report the world | features finding new ways of reporting on the Previous page: Worshippers attend Friday prayers at a collapsed mosque that was destroyed in the 2005 Kashmir complexities and unnatural aspects of “A three month study of UK television coverage of earthquake, 2006, © Espen Rasmussen, Panos Pictures seemingly natural disasters. Amongst developing countries by the UK Department for Clockwise from top left: French television record the recommendations proposed testimony from an MSF worker in Mogadishu, Somalia, 2008, © Yann Libessart/MSF; Women carrying firewood by Hammock and Charny for International Development (DFID), for example, in Jamam refugee camp, south Sudan, 2012, © Robin Meldrum/MSF; Refugee, Amani, with her daughter, Harrap avoiding the scripted morality play, found around one third of news coverage is in Jamam, South Sudan, 2012, © Robin Meldrum/MSF for example, are journalist training characterised by ‘war, conflict and terrorism’.” and exchange programmes as well as focussing on the agency of local people. More recently, a report which they resonate with deep-seated news that remit is specifically to ‘broaden reviewed UK media coverage of the values, especially conflict, violence, UK audiences' experience of and recent crisis in East Africa (IBT 2012) deviance and drama and, in the case exposure to different cultures from made a number of recommendations of visual media, provide a succession around the world’ (BBC Trust 2006). including: further development of spectacular scenes’ (2006:76). This is mandated to be achieved, of mutual understanding between Indeed, there is some empirical not only through news coverage of the NGO sector and the media, as research to support this argument earthquakes, famine and floods, but well as greater use of the variety of (although my own recent research through a range of different genres actively leads the way in challenging responds as rapidly as possible. the root causes of disasters. As Cottle communication tools now available has also contradicted this – see Scott and subjects. the ‘calculus of death’ and actively Initially the response is heroic, argues, perhaps even the term ‘natural through new and social media. 2009). A three month study of UK BBC Two will offer – in concert with prioritises such issues, audiences will with the Red Cross and private disasters’ is itself somewhat misleading Such ambitions are, admittedly, television coverage of developing BBC Four – non-news output that remain ignorant about the major relief agency personnel portrayed as because it masks the human actions (or often at odds with audience demand. countries by the UK Department for reflects international themes: the best challenges that confront their fellow being close to angels in their selfless inactions) that govern vulnerability, According to a recent survey by the International Development (DFID), of global arts, music, documentary human beings around the world. sacrifice to assist the victims. The anticipation and response to disasters British Red Cross (2011), the subject for example, found around one third and film, for example, helping to Indeed, a recent survey by the British increasing military involvement (2008:46). Was the recent food crisis UK audiences are least interested in of news coverage is characterised by bring a sense of place to UK audiences Red Cross (2008) found that when brings patriotism into the mix and in East Africa, for example, presented finding out more about with regards ‘war, conflict and terrorism’ (2000:3). and giving context to ongoing asked to name countries currently provides the media with the essential simply in terms of a lack of food and to countries affected by disasters is Such a focus on crises arguably news stories by exploring cultural experiencing conflict, less than 1% of local angle. But [also]… there have as a product simply of the weather or the historical and political context of serves to reproduce assumptions developments (BBC Trust 2006). respondents were able to name either to be problems and the villains that of bad luck or fate, or were the long these countries. and stereotypes about other parts of In conclusion, questions of if the DRC, Sudan or Somalia. create them… [which] tend to be the term, structural causes of risks to food I have thus far articulated two fairly the world as being places dominated and how broadcasters report on The second conventional set of easy targets – the UN bureaucrat or security discussed? conventional accounts of the nature of by violence, disaster and despair. overseas disasters are important claims associated with media coverage the local military authorities. The set Furthermore, the academic Susan reporting of overseas crises and what According to the results of audience for understanding how well they of disasters in foreign countries piece story never quite comes to a neat Moeller has famously argued that such role media leadership might play in research published by the volunteer- keep their audiences in touch with concerns the nature of that coverage. ending. Ultimately there are more formulaic chronologies, combined each account. But rather than ending based charity Voluntary Service what is going on in the world. Yet Researchers John Hammock and Joel failures than success (Hammock & with sensationalised language, the discussion here, as is so often the Overseas (VSO), for example, 80% crisis reporting alone, however Charny (1996) argue, as do others, Charny, 1996:115). contribute to a sense of ‘compassion case, I want to further suggest that of the British public strongly associate comprehensive, is not sufficient for that most coverage of international The problem with this well- fatigue’ – or ‘form of audience apathy media leadership should also extend the developing world with doom- giving audiences the opportunity to humanitarian emergencies conforms worn morality play, Hammock and towards the wider world in which the to ensuring that crises, disasters and laden images of famine, disaster and understand the dynamic and complex to a well worn narrative, or a ‘scripted Charny argue, is that it avoids asking public are subsequently less inclined emergencies are not the only occasions Western aid (2001:3). If we want the global issues that affect all our lives. morality play’. hard questions of the credibility to engage in overseas giving’ (1999:3). in which other parts of the world media to play a role in promoting dr martin scott is a lecturer in the school The crisis arrives with the suddenness and capacity of relief organisations In other words, by conforming to the appear in the media. understanding of people around of international development at the university of east anglia (uea) where he and power of an earthquake. Then themselves, it overlooks the agency of same disaster narrative each time Another common observation the world and challenging rather convenes the media and international the international community… local actors and it avoids an analysis of crises are reported, audiences are left regarding overseas coverage is that than reinforcing prejudice, then development masters programme. with a feeling that they are watching many parts of the world only appear in broadcasters have a responsibility “In other words, by conforming to the same disaster ‘the same old story’ and that nothing the media when there are ‘coups and to report on the world in all its narrative each time crises are reported, audiences are ever changes. earthquakes’ (Rosenblum 1979) or conditions. In relation to such claims about the ‘conflict and war’ (Dover & Barnett, The BBC, for example, has a left with a feeling that they are watching ‘the same old nature of media coverage of disasters, 2004:27). As Cottle puts it, ‘wars are public service commitment to ‘bring story’ and that nothing ever changes.” media leadership refers to broadcasters quintessentially newsworthy because the world to the UK’. One part of

12 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 13 features | a war on journalists | features public broadcasters are increasingly A WAR ON called on to play an integrated planning “In natural disasters too, international public broadcasters and rapid response role, collaborating are increasingly called on to play an integrated planning JOURNALISTS with disaster relief operations to and rapid response role, collaborating with disaster relief disseminate vital information, as the The deaths of Marie Colvin of The Sunday BBC was able to do after the 2010 operations to disseminate vital information.” Times and French photographer Rémi Haiti earthquake through its ‘lifeline’ Ochlik in a Syrian army bombardment of programmes in Haitian creole, advising in terms of attacks and imprisonment is based on the number of journalists’ Homs on 22 February this year jolted the the stricken population where they of journalists and the stifling of press killings that go unpunished, often world into realising the unprecedented dangers of 21st century news reporting. could find aid and shelter. freedom. That grim reality dominated because national justice systems are But few organisations have the the conference of the Commonwealth also corrupted and not fit for purpose. author resources for such complex tasks and Journalists Association held in A Sri Lankan journalist told the Malta William Horsley too often media employers take little Malta this January, which adopted gathering: “Impunity is reinforced by responsibility for their own journalists’ a communiqué condemning state international inaction”. photography personal safety, while freelancers, who repression of independent media. An important test is approaching Panos Pictures, London often face the highest risks, have the The meeting heard accounts for the Commonwealth itself – and for least protection of all. Rodney Pinder, of abuses of state power designed the world’s media: will the Sri Lankan The frontlines of conflict and danger Sri Lanka, Saleem Shahzad in Pakistan United Nations itself, and by vocal Director of the International News to subdue or control the media in government be obliged, when it hosts today are mobile and undefined. and Anna Politkovskaya in Russia. journalists’ organisations, to devote Safety Institute (INSI), says that Gambia, Uganda and other African the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Communications are instant and International media organisations the same kind of attention to the globally only a tiny minority of news states. Police beatings, violence by Government Meeting (CHOGM), to easy to trace. Often, journalists are increasingly rely on those vulnerable matter of saving lives and stopping organisations properly observe their hired thugs, intimidation of family relax its stranglehold on the media at no longer seen as neutral observers local journalists, fixers and internet the spread of censorship and self- duty of care for staff and freelancers members and threats of arbitrary home? of conflicts; and autocratic rulers activists to tell the major stories of censorship based on fear. in dangerous situations. criminal prosecution are all common The authorities there have rejected routinely set out to silence media our times. As for physical safety training and INSI, which was set up in 2003 means of achieving that goal; all pressures for an independent voices that expose abuses of state In the face of what the Hungarian support, big western media have taken with the backing of the biggest regrettably, the corruption of media international inquiry into war power, as a strategy for their own press freedom champion Miklos impressive strides over the past 20 names in international news media, workers through bribes as well as crimes claims and stand accused of survival and to tighten their grip on Haraszti has called this ‘peacetime war years to ensure that their own people has trained journalists in over 20 threats is also widespread in some turning the country’s media into power. on journalism’, pressure is growing for have hostile environment training countries, including Rwanda, Iraq states. a tool of government propaganda. So it is that in many countries, Public Service Broadcasters, and other and the best practical support while and Sri Lanka, but is desperate for The respected Committee to But Sri Lanka, like every state, wants journalists and Internet activists have major media organisations, to consider they are deployed to conflict or more funds as the global demand Protect Journalists now lists Sri to avoid open public censure. At become the special objects of targeted radical new strategies themselves. The emergency situations. The European grows exponentially. Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the CJA conference, editors and violence, including kidnapping, media are being pulled into an arena Broadcasting Union, which provides Some Commonwealth states are India among the worst offending journalists from many parts of the torture and murder, by the armies of international politics where they transmission facilities for all comers among those with the worst records states on its Impunity Index, which Commonwealth voiced support for and security forces of unscrupulous are among the main stakeholders in in war-torn places around the globe regimes, and in many cases also of a struggle for the freedom to report – like Libya, Iraq and Sarajevo – aims ruthless insurgent groups or well- without fear. to train and insure all members of armed organised crime syndicates. At Already, major broadcasters and its teams, regardless of whether or least 12 other journalists were killed news organisations employ large not they are employed as staff. BBC worldwide this year before the news teams of people who deal with news teams, like those of other big broke about the deaths of Marie ‘government relations’, seeking to networks working in conflict zones, Colvin and Rémi Ochlik. ensure that laws and regulations allow take security specialists with them The great majority of journalistic them to prosper as businesses. Now whose services sometimes save lives. Clockwise from top left: Marie Colvin in Tahrir Square, casualties of targeted violence are not ‘big media’ are being asked by the In natural disasters too, international 2011, © Ivor Prickett, Panos Pictures; Mourners outside the home of murdered Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, western reporters but locally-based 2006, © Justin Jin, Panos Pictures; World press pack on journalists who persist in reporting the outskirts of Gori, Georgia, 2008, © Chris Stowers, “At least 12 other journalists were killed worldwide this Panos Pictures truths that the powerful want to keep year before the news broke about the deaths of Marie Right: OMON Special Forces beat a German Reuters hidden – among them, in recent photographer, as he tries to cover a protest march in years, Lasantha Wickrematunge in Colvin and Rémi Ochlik.” Moscow, 2007, © Justin Jin, Panos Pictures

14 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 15 features | a war on journalists | features the goal of using the CHOGM to backed various public statements little attention to an initiative that exert overt pressure for more openness. and campaigns down the years, will help to determine the framework COVERING Parallels were drawn with other cases, though so far with little effect. of law and practice, in which future such as China at the time of the 2008 They include intense lobbying for generations of journalists risk their EMERGENCY: Beijing Olympics, when the spotlight UN Security Council Resolution lives to report from dangerous places. of international media attention was 1738, passed unanimously in 2006, Many senior editors in news A GUIDE seen to bring some limited advances which identified targeted attacks organisations also remain unaware in press freedom. on journalists (as on other civilians) of important developments in Former Head of BBC Caribbean, Senator Hugh Segal of Canada, the in conflicts as ‘war crimes’; the international law on journalists’ Debbie Ransome, outlines the skills Special Envoy for Commonwealth 2007 Medellin Declaration calling rights– including a landmark 2011 journalists and broadcasters need to Renewal, encouraged journalists’ for stronger measures to ensure text by the legal experts of the UN’s cover disasters and emergencies. organisations to stand firmly compliance with international rules Human Rights Committee, which for what he called ‘fundamental on safeguarding media workers and for for the first time sets out the positive author Debbie Ransome Commonwealth values’, including coordinated publicity campaigns on obligations of all states to protect press freedom. Speaking with unusual unpunished crimes against journalists; journalists under threat and ensure photography candour, he warned that hypocrisy and the Joint Statement of 2008 by that the perpetrators of attacks and Panos Pictures, London “risks overtaking the purpose and the BBC World Service, Deutsche killings are punished. direction” of the Commonwealth Welle, Radio France Internationale, Jane Connors of the Office of the Flying into Montserrat on the tailwind devastating earthquake. is a member of the regional political unless it demonstrates the will to Radio Netherlands and the Voice UN High Commissioner for Human of Hurricane Hugo brought home to I have seen journalists who will go and trade grouping Caricom (the stand up for those values, in the way of America, which deplored the Rights publicly called on journalists’ me early on the need to keep your the extra mile on a pre-planned Friday Caribbean Community), so its it deals with lapses in behaviour by its evidence that some governments were organisations to make more active journalistic head in covering a crisis. afternoon to fill a gap in the rota, who devastation was as much an issue member states. implicated in harassing, detaining and use of UN mechanisms, including As we landed on the remnants of are the same journalists to step up to for its immediate Commonwealth The arguments against Public killing journalists. individual complaints about attacks the airstrip, we could see a scene that the plate to cover a major breaking Caribbean neighbours as for the more Service Media assuming a more active Yet the number of deliberate attacks on journalists and the collection resembled Dante’s Inferno. My pilot news story. high-profile US disaster response public advocacy role for protecting on journalists worldwide is rising of evidence that can lead to formal was determined to leave before sunset So what skills are needed to cover teams. the safety of journalists may be inexorably, reflecting the fact that commissions of inquiry and other UN (air traffic control had been wiped times of disaster and crisis? Over the As the Head of BBC Caribbean summarised as those of in-house journalists and independent media, interventions. out) and we had to climb over fallen years reporting on day-to-day activities at the time I had a three-pronged ethics and of access: broadcasters do together with human rights defenders If the UN Action Plan on Safety trees to make our way to what was left and breaking news stories alike, I have challenge, which faces many of today’s not wish to be seen to ‘take sides’ of all kinds, have become prime of Journalists and the Issue of of the capital. But most importantly, found they come back to the basic newsrooms when disaster takes place. or to favour their own kind over targets of widespread violence and Impunity gets active support from my head was full of the skills needed journalistic principles encapsulated 1) Sorting out deployment other categories of victims of state harassment because of their function leading international media it is more to ensure good coverage. in the editorial guidelines of many of people on the ground. Haiti oppression or lawlessness and they of providing reliable information for likely to lead to effective protection That was in September 1989. My media organisations – independence, was already a country with long- generally accept the need to deal with people to make their own choices. mechanisms and an end to the scourge views on disaster coverage, forged in balance, accuracy and above all, a established reporting difficulties. Our government authorities as they are, In response the United Nations of impunity. If not, the UNESCO-led the heat of that moment, have stayed sense of decency and humanity, which existing contacts and understanding rather than being seen to confront has at last drawn up an Action Plan initiative may end up as just another with me to this day. makes sure that we journalists do not of the complexities of covering Haiti them and risk losing their reporting involving all its relevant agencies, failed plan, with yet more journalists In my experience, coverage of an reduce the victims to mere spectacle. gave us the head start the BBC needed access to countries where journalists designed to give a high priority across in jail, living in fear, or dead. Logically, emergency does not require you to I shall use three case studies from in such a rapidly developing global are being attacked or killed with all the UN’s activities to countering the only way to reverse the tide in the develop new skills when that crisis my own direct experience. story. impunity. these unacceptable patterns of long term is to raise the political cost takes place. Coverage of an emergency I will start with the most recent 2) The job of beefing up the The case for more explicit public violence and impunity. to the perpetrators of being named is about turning your day-to-day disaster in the Caribbean – the January newsroom rota to get a team to engagement to protect journalists’ This presents PSBs and other and shamed for killing the messenger. journalistic standards to focus on the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Although continue their daily duties, while safety embraces arguments that it is media with a major test of their own. breaking story. not a Commonwealth country, Haiti also taking on a wider role for the william horsley is a former bbc necessary on humanitarian grounds The IPI, the World Association of correspondent, the uk chairman of the In my career at Radio Trinidad, the and has become an accepted goal of Newspapers and the International association of european journalists and Caribbean News Agency (Cana) and “Coverage of an emergency does not require you to international director of the centre for good governance, enshrined in various Federation of Journalists have all taken freedom of the media at the university of the BBC, those guiding day-to-day develop new skills when that crisis takes place. Coverage international treaties. part in consultations leading up to the sheffield. principles have steered me and my In fact, Public Service Broadcasters Action Plan, but the giants of global colleagues – whether it is hurricane of an emergency is about turning your day-to-day and other international media have mainstream media have so far paid destruction, an attempted coup or a journalistic standards to focus on the breaking story.”

16 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 17 features | covering emergency: a guide | features

Previous page clockwise from top left: response experts from the rest of the A group of men survey the remains of a church in region. “Once again, the follow-up was key, when the main Petionville, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2010, © William Daniels, Panos Pictures; The aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, Grenada, Once again, that ability of fast- news agencies had packed up their bags and left, as the 2004, © Alex Smailes, Panos Pictures; The ruined thinking journalists to drop a day’s neighbourhood of Le Fort, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2010, © William Daniels, Panos Pictures prepared material and go with the attraction of pictures of devastation had worn itself out.”

Left: Devastation in Cable Bay, Jamaica, following homeless Prime Minister on the line Hurricane Ivan, 2004, © Neil Cooper, Panos Pictures was typical of the way any newsroom on an already economically fragile in such a confused and fast-moving Bottom right: A home in Grenada destroyed by Hurricane must react quickly in covering country. crisis. Had the Prime Minister signed Ivan, 2004, © Alex Smailes, Panos Pictures emergencies. Once again, the follow-up was key, an amnesty at gunpoint for the Jamaat- Again, the follow-up was key. Our when the main news agencies had al-Muslimeen? Who was telling the Christmas special, looking at how packed up their bags and left, as the full story – the remaining cabinet the people of Grenada still marked attraction of pictures of devastation members at the Trinidad army main Christmas under their tarpaulin roofs had worn itself out. The continued camp or the Muslimeen claiming to and in roofless churches, was much coverage of the rebuilding of life in have taken over the country? Were the used by partner stations across the Jamaica was almost as important as army or the police in charge? Caribbean. the breaking news story. The story put Trinidad on the rest of the BBC and handling special briefings for BBC Newsgathering allowed people to describe their lives This article may seem like Follow-up coverage after an initial world news agenda for the best part of coverage. correspondents booking their journeys one year on in their native Creole, with cheerleading for the BBC Caribbean story came home to me personally a week. But by the time we witnessed 3) We took on a role, which is now to get into Haiti. I also discussed the Brazilian peacekeepers retelling brand but the team I have just when I found myself at the centre the Muslimeen surrender under the becoming increasingly important – the provision of trauma counselling their experiences in Portuguese mentioned are some of the colleagues of the attempted coup in Trinidad watchful eye of the army, Trinidad was lifeline programming for the people at for a team of people who had (www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/ it has been an honour to work with in 1990. As the Cana correspondent quickly losing international attention the heart of the disaster. The thinking compassionately chosen and edited story/2011/01/110112_haiti_ over the years in different media with a bird’s-eye view of the Trinidad as Saddam Hussein prepared to march behind this is simple: the people on often gruesome website pictures from anniversary_2.shtml). houses. Parliament, while a group known as into Kuwait. the ground know what has happened the stream of agency pictures showing When Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada The response of the then Caribbean Jamaat-al-Muslimeen held the Prime After the Muslimeen surrender, I to them. What they need is lifeline the deaths and devastation. in 2004, the vital role that BBC News Agency (Cana) to Hurricane Minister and other MPs hostage for slept on my desk for the last night, information about medical assistance, The kudos came in afterwards Caribbean output provided in linking Gilbert in 1988 followed equally a six-day stand-off, I had also been determined to see the story through to food, water and other relief. from across the BBC, as well as aid up a group of island nations was never high professional standards. While the ‘in-the-curfew-area’ journalist, its end. I was woken by my newswire With a core team, including some agencies and Haitian diaspora groups. more important. the mainstream US and British interviewed at length by the large machine pinging the breaking news resources on loan, BBC Caribbean But the one I was most proud of was Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, media focused on Jamaicans looting news media outfits that had camped from Kuwait. By the time I got out fulfilled all of the above roles including: the 2010 Association of International his own home destroyed by Ivan, was damaged shops, Cana and associate at a hotel outside the siege area. of the curfew area, the international constant updates to the website, Broadcasting (AIB) award later that airlifted to safety by the Royal Navy. stations in Jamaica told the in-depth Here, the basic journalistic need to media corps at the hotel had left reflecting the quickly developing story; year, for the lifeline programme that They provided him with a phone story about the impact of the storm cross-check sources became essential with orders to return home as new regular programming focused mainly reunited a mother with the son she for emergency calls. He asked to call deployments were being made to on Haiti; two-ways and despatches thought had perished in the quake. BBC World Service. The Intake desk Kuwait. for the rest of the BBC’s international I am also proud of the follow-up took the call and one of the bigger As one young journalist once said and domestic radio and TV outlets. In coverage, which experience has taught news programmes came on the line at her job interview, news is what takes addition, those with Creole-speaking me is more important to the people on immediately. Mr Mitchell thanked place when you are getting on with skills dropped everything to travel to the ground after an emergency. Some them kindly but told them he wanted your life. I will add to that a fact that I Miami, where they helped staff the of my team, this time working with to talk to BBC Caribbean. Why? have learned over the years: when that lifeline programme that accompanied the BBC’s Brazilian Service, visited Because his immediate priority was news happens, you need to be able to our coverage of the quake and its Port-au-Prince in December 2010 to to let his fellow Caricom neighbours fall back on the basic journalistic skills aftermath. film and record what became the Haiti know what he needed – power supply, you have been using all the time. Meanwhile, I had to keep tabs on Tent Tales TV and radio series. This security, reconstruction and disaster debbie ransome is currently the editor our stringer on the ground in Port- of the cja newsletter and a freelance journalist. until 2011, she was head of au-Prince and track our man in the “The people on the ground know what’s happened to them. bbc caribbean. neighbouring Dominican Republic as he made his way to Haiti as quickly What they need is lifeline information about medical as possible. The job came to include assistance, food, water and other relief.”

18 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 19 feature | talking trauma | feature younger and older journalists are TALKING likely to experience trauma trouble. “Depending on the study, research on US journalists in Like handling radiation, trauma has general suggest that between 86 to 100 percent have TRAUMA a dose relationship. Epidemiological data on the impact witnessed a traumatic event as part of their work.” Turn on the television, launch a of trauma on journalists is patchy. browser or pick up a newspaper and Depending on the study, research traumatic situations our judgement colour theory is to painting. Knowing we are likely to see a violent and on US journalists in general suggest may be affected in subtle ways that how survivors and victims process capricious world out there. Gavin Rees that between 86 to 100 percent have we may not connect to the content trauma can prevent some costly of Dart Centre Europe outlines how trauma is integral to the news. witnessed a traumatic event as part of we are covering. Individuals in a interviewing mistakes. There may their work. Research world-wide has news team, reporting on a disaster, be reasons as to why an account is author found possible rates of post-traumatic may experience sharp irritability, inaccurate or incomplete. Similarly if Gavin Rees stress disorder, ranging between 4.3 fixation on limited dimensions of a a colleague is irascible and impossible and 28 per cent, depending on the story, or lapses in concentration and to work with, is that their normal photography group studied. War reporters are at the memory. When trauma is in play, behaviour or is it the trauma talking? Panos Pictures, London upper range, with high rates of PTSD, the unconscious mind can zone in Perhaps there is a connection with the as well as depression and alcohol and out. It is not unusual to oscillate multiple-fatality train crash he or she Over the last year we have had a Sometimes journalists will be on the absolute immunity, just as a press card abuse. Given the density of atrocity between moments of intense presence reported on last week? Tsunami in Japan, the terror attack scene, powering up their camcorders is not a charm against bullets. and life-threat they are exposed to, and befuddlement. Trauma reactions by themselves do in Norway, violent protests sweeping and phones, long before anybody Two misnomers need scotching. that 28 percent figure is a testament As MacDuff put it in Macbeth, not imply a diagnosis of PTSD. That North Africa and the Middle East and has seen an emergency worker. We First, potential trauma impact does to resilience. Unfortunately, good there are horrors that “tongue nor ear condition develops when the normal, then open warfare in Libya and Syria. expect the people in our stories to be not just concern war correspondents data is lacking on media workers who cannot conceive nor name.” But it is routine responses to abnormal material Then there is the perpetual undertow affected by devastation and trauma, in life-threatening situations. The find themselves stuck in a perpetual our job as journalists, to do just that become so enlarged that they start to of less high-profile, privately enacted but somehow we are not factoring in toxicity of trauma can seep into the disaster situation that also happens to and to package the mess of the world etch their way more permanently in tragedies, such as the traffic accident, how that might apply to us. psyche through other vectors. Think, be their home, for instance, journalists into neater narratives. On occasions the psyche. Nevertheless, when PTSD the street stabbing or the sexual There are some good reasons for perhaps, of a reporter who may also caught up in the drug wars in , that may mean swimming against the does occur, it is a serious condition assault. As news professionals we are this. It can feel indecent to talk about be a parent, listening to hours of court or the political violence in Pakistan. tide of one’s brain chemistry. that can derail careers and wreak understandably reluctant to turn the ourselves when the impact seems to testimony documenting the torture To use the psychology jargon, Trauma awareness is about havoc with personal relationships. lens on ourselves, but if we are going be far worse on the primary victims of a child. From 2003 onwards, working with trauma also has a understanding how these processes But what is to be done? Here are to do journalism well, we need to look and survivors – they are the story, newsrooms were faced with a flood sub-clinical, i.e. non-illness making, operate so that one can make more some brief thoughts: with accurate and unsentimental eyes not journalists. Most of the time, of disturbing images, particularly of impact. PTSD can hog this discussion informed working decisions. Really it 1. We need to talk about trauma. at the impact trauma can have on we handle trauma well. Studies of beheadings coming in from Iraq and and blind us to the wider picture. In should be as integral to journalism as continued page 24 news teams. emergency workers suggest that other places, which highlighted that Disaster reporting starts with an being on the scene of a crisis with video and picture editors who work often-observed paradox: just as the a job to do is better than being the with violent images are also at risk. affected population is streaming victim of a situation one feels that one Secondly, the idea that the more out of a disaster zone, journalists has no control over. The journalistic one does it, the more one gets used to are jostling to get in. We seek out mission to bear witness is protective it, is not necessarily true. Overload is what others are actively avoiding. but unfortunately it does not confer possible at any point in a career. The veteran US war reporter, Ernie Pyle, “Sometimes journalists will be on the scene, powering knew when he had seen too much. Top opposite: The feet of victims killed by the Japanese “I’ve been immersed in it too long,” tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, 2011, up their camcorders and phones, long before anybody © Adam Dean, Panos Pictures he wrote. “My spirit is wobbly and my Clockwise from left: People protest ongoing drug violence has seen an emergency worker. We expect the people mind is confused. The hurt has become in Cuidad Juaraz, following the death of a local newspaper too great.” Training and a supportive photographer, 2011, © Teun Voeten, Panos Pictures; A in our stories to be affected by devastation and trauma, girl stands amongst the detritus of the 2004 tsunami, Sri work team can expand one’s capacity Lanka, 2005 © William Daniels, Panos Pictures; Exhausted but somehow we are not factoring in how that might press spokeswoman in Oslo at a hearing of Anders Behring to work with traumatic material but Breivik, who committed terrorist attacks in Norway in July apply to us.” the epidemiology suggests that both 2011, © Tom Pilston, Panos Pictures

20 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 21 ALL PHOTOGRAPHS © PANOS PICTURES Ian Teh; Sri Lanka, 2005, © William Daniels; Australia, March Dean Chapman; Norway, 2011, © Alfredo Caliz; Bangladesh, Top left to right: Egypt, December 2011, © Andrew McConnell; 2009, © Jocelyn Carlin; USA, September 2008, © Kael Alford; May 2009, © G.M.B Akash; Japan, March 2011, © Noriko Australia, December 2002, © Dean Sewell; Pakistan, October Haiti, October 2007, © Abbie Trayler-Smith; Kenya, July 2011, Hayashi; Libya, April 2011, © David Rose; Japan, April 2011, 2005, © Chris Stowers; India, February 2005, © Justin © Sanjit Das; Japan, June 2011, © Espen Rasmussen; Haiti, © Noriko Hayashi; Syria, January 2012, © Tom Pilston; Egypt, Jin; , January 2005, © Dermot Tatlow; Indonesia, January 2010, © Christian Als/ Berlingske; Sri Lanka, 2005, © December 2011, © Jason Larkin; Greece, August 2007, © January 2005, © Dermot Tatlow; Haiti, April 2009, © Espen William Daniels; Bangladesh, July 2009, © Espen Rasmussen; Polaris; Haiti, January 2010, © William Daniels; Japan, March Rasmussen; China, May 2008, ©Qilai Shen; China, 2008, © Indonesia, January 2005, © Kemal Jufri; Japan, July 2011, © 2011, © Shiho Fukada

22 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 23 features | talking trauma | features making the right kind of 'common “Trauma is a management issue. In other words, those at sense' automatic might require some A LIVING the top need to take responsibility.” initial priming. For instance, we can all struggle to find the right words DOCUMENT when there is a death in the newsroom People in every level of a news need to take responsibility. In the and some limited technical input can CBA Travel Bursar, Siobhann Tighe, organisation need to feel they have military, one of the surest indicators be a great help. outlines how a Tongan broadcaster’s shared ownership of the issue. of psychological fall-out is poor unit Over the last few years, the innovative approach to reporting on the 2009 tsunami provides a case Avoidance will snuff out opportunities leadership and inconsistent decision- Australian Broadcasting Corporation study of the complex role of the to bed down good traumatic stress making. Editors should lead by has been innovating in this area. With public service broadcaster in the post management practices and is also example and make sure that the focus the aid of Dart Centre Asia-Pacific, it disaster context. likely to create a culture of stigma, is on the newsroom mission and not has built up a peer-support structure which is dangerous. PTSD is an on the personal issues that can derail that provides one model for how author eminently treatable condition. If a the work. colleagues might boost each other’s Siobhann Tighe journalist, however, suspects that their 4. Out-sourcing support is not trauma resilience. job is at threat if they seek help, they enough. A good employee assistance In concluding this brief survey illustration Soakimi Finau, Tonga are more likely to hide it. Rather like programme (EAP) can be helpful of what is a complicated area, we a physical injury, such as breaking a but it is only a supplement. If a news should not forget that trauma is not Niuatoputapu is one of the most information we got was mostly hear- documentary. “I agreed,” says Nanise leg, it is better to get seen as soon as organisation constantly relies on just an occupational health issue, in remote islands in the Pacific. Even say.” Looking back Nanise remembers Fifita. “It could be a learning tool possible rather then let it fester. psychologists or outside experts to the same way that repetitive stress though it is closer to Samoa it feeling very frustrated. First because for everyone. Initially the idea was 2. Prevention is better than cure. provide help, it sends some mixed injury is. It is fundamentally entwined belongs to the Kingdom of Tonga of the Government’s refusal to let one to document everything and then Simple self-care strategies – pacing signals. First, it can imply that the with journalism. Producing accurate and is one of two tiny islands known of her staff on the first plane going to produce a programme plus a booklet one’s exposure to traumatic images, organisation is too embarrassed to copy, treating sources with fairness as the Niuas. When a natural disaster the island and second because it was to inform and educate people, based good nutrition, maintaining a good discuss the issues itself and secondly and empathy, in other words, the struck, immediate coverage proved keeping information to itself. “The on the experiences of the survivors.” balance of exercise and sleep – can all it implies that trauma management is key facets of good journalism, are challenging for the state broadcaster, Government released information So three months after the tsunami make a tremendous difference. That an arcane mystery that only outsiders also likely to lead to higher levels of Radio & TV Tonga, but a few months bit by bit. I don’t understand their NHK’s Masaharu Ando flew out to may sound like common-sense, but with specialist qualifications can staff well-being. Journalists, who are later a documentary was made, which rationale. As someone in the middle Niuatoputapu with Tongan reporter, the funny thing about common-sense do. Good peer-led social support, supported in maintaining a resilient is regarded as a ‘living document’. of government and the people, I was Anau Fonokalafi. Anau had her target is that it is not necessarily there at the colleagues looking out for colleagues work-life balance when on traumatic At the end of September 2009 a desperate to get information out, as audience in mind even before take- times we most need it. they already care about, is known to assignments, will also be better placed tsunami hit. It came in the morning long as it was reliable.” The third off, “We focused on students. The 3. Trauma is a management issue. be protective. Again, building this to produce their best work. This but reporters in the Radio & TV frustration was over Radio Tonga’s kids here don’t know about tsunamis. In other words, those at the top capacity in a newsroom is not hard but is an issue that should be engaged Tonga newsroom far, far away on the transmitter, “Our transmission mast Whenever people hear a tsunami with actively at all levels of a news main island of Tongatapu, had no was 50 years old and people in the warning on the radio they go to the organisation. It is not something that idea what was happening. It was only two Niaus found it difficult at times waterfront to have a look!” should be confined to a memo buried when listeners started to call in with to tune in.” One of the most difficult tasks in a stack of papers somewhere in the descriptions of high tides suddenly Nine people died that day, many for Anau was getting people’s trust, human resources department. dropping to low ones that they more were injured and more than 130 “The camera really scares people. gavin rees is the director of the dart realised something unusual was going households were affected. That is half Even the mic. Whenever they saw me centre for journalism and trauma in on. By mid morning a tsunami was the households in Niuatoputapu. coming up to their doors they turned europe. confirmed, but no one knew the scale In 30 years of working at Radio & around.” It was gentle persuasion on of it. Nanise Fifita, General Manager TV Tonga it was the first time Nanise her part and pragmatism on theirs, of Radio & Television Tonga explains, Fifita had to deal with a tsunami. that encouraged some to talk. “People “At first we thought it was both Niuas Tropical cyclones are part of life for thought that being interviewed would but after a day we found out that only Tongans but not tsunamis. When the get them aid and funding, but I Niuatoputapu had been affected. We dust had settled, a Japanese television didn’t promise them anything. What were told that everyone had been producer, cameraman and editor convinced them to open up was me Left: Journalists arrive in Faizabad, Afghanistan, 2001. wiped out, then, only some. We just from NHK, who was doing voluntary telling them: your information is © Teun Voeten, Panos Pictures didn’t know exactly how many. The work in Tonga, suggested making a very important. A lot of people will

24 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 25 features | a living document | features Left: Poignant message left on a truck in Samoa following the 2009 tsunami, which hit Samoa as well as the surrounding Pacific Islands, 2009, © Jocelyn Carlin, Panos can be passed on from generation to this deeply Christian country, “Since and they wanted comfort. That’s generation, “We can never tell when an Radio Tonga was established over 50 when it really clicked for me.” earthquake or a tsunami will happen, years ago, whenever there is a natural So what happens as time goes so repeating it is a good way to remind disaster people regard Radio Tonga by? These days it is considered quite people what they should do if it 1 as ‘the lighthouse’. Radio Tonga 1 normal for well-known, international, happens again,” says Nanise. reaches even the most remote and rolling-news broadcasters to give As the state broadcaster, Radio scattered islands. People know to considerable air-time to anniversaries & TV Tonga are quite clear about switch on and get the latest weather but marking the 2009 tsunami poses a their role during a natural disaster. update, advice from people on the dilemma for Tonga’s state broadcaster. It is to provide clear and up-to-date ground and even a short prayer from “We hate to be accused of stirring up information, which means that a church leader.” emotions,” says Nanise. “People say Radio Tonga 1 remains on air with “The mandate for Radio & “leave us alone” but then we don’t want a mix of guests from organisations Television Tonga is to inform, educate, to make people feel isolated either. So like The National Emergency and entertain but since the tsunami, we’ve decided to look forward. Our Management Office, The Red Cross it’s also to comfort. I didn’t notice role now is to report on reconstruction learn from it and it will help Tongans the elderly and the children.” One of the most effective devices and Government. Anau Fonokalafi that before. The tsunami happened in and ask whether the Government has if there is another tsunami. It is not Having recorded the experience of within the documentary ended up is very straightforward about it, the same year that the Tongan ferry, delivered on what it promised. Or, your physical appearance that really children who survived Cyclone Sidr in being the use of 31 coloured pencil “Tell people what to do, which roads the MV Ashika, sank killing over 70 two years on, has nothing been done?” matters, it is your information. You Bangladesh in 2007 I recognise Anau’s sketches. Even in pre-production, to use, and how to get to higher people. So listeners were calling us to are a very important person”. experience. The children’s descriptions Anau and Masahura knew they had a ground.” Nanise Fifita goes further say they wanted religious songs, they siobhann tighe is a bbc journalist currently undertaking a cba travel The other difficulty Anau had, that I collected for a BBC World fundamental problem: there were no and includes the part faith plays in wanted church leaders to say a prayer bursary in tonga and the pacific. which she shares with many other Service documentary were quite pictures. So Masaharu came up with reporters who have been to the scene matter-of-fact, understated even, yet the idea of recruiting an artist to draw of a natural disaster, is the mixture their voices were so vulnerable and shy. survivors’ stories. The documentary EDUCATE of emotions that people are going I can also appreciate another of Anau’s confidently starts off with one of through. “The Government had a challenges: keeping your interviewee, his pictures and over it, without a AND INFORM relocation plan, so I asked people who is probably still traumatised, on musical track, we hear a man, on the about their plans for the future: will track. “If I’m looking for one answer,” verge of tears, telling his story. It sets UNESCO Communication and they stay or move? This is when Anau says, “I’ll have to ask the question the reflective tone of the whole piece Information Advisor, Arya Gunawan they showed their anger towards the eight times until they tell me exactly and each sketch gives the viewer the Usis, outlines his views on the role of Government. They wanted to stay on what happened. It was really hard to chance to pause for breath and reflect. public service broadcasters in the their existing land. They didn’t want follow their information and also see “This is something new for us, totally aftermath of crises, disasters and emergencies. to move to higher ground inland, whether this person is telling me the new. It has never been done before at which would have been safer. I had truth or telling me what other people Television Tonga,” says Nanise Fifita. author to explain that I was independent and have told them.” In a culture that “Yes, it’s a sketch, not a moving picture, Arya Gunawan Usis that I wasn’t there to build a house for wants to please visitors and provide but I could feel what had happened. them. Even after three months some answers that will satisfy them, this can One islander explained that he was still photography were still nervous and scared, especially be genuinely difficult for reporters. in bed when the tsunami struck and Panos Pictures, London when he woke up the water was bed- “As the state broadcaster, Radio & TV Tonga are quite clear high. Listening to what he said and For four months from March 2011, through collaboration between serious flooding. Various important about their role during a natural disaster. It is to provide looking at the sketch I could imagine every Friday and Saturday night, the Commonwealth Broadcasting were inserted, such as life- what happened. It’s powerful.” Rashida Batool never missed an Association (CBA) and UNESCO and saving measures during a flood, how to clear and up-to-date information, which means that The documentary was first broadcast opportunity to listen to her radio. The broadcast by Pakistan Broadcasting prevent and deal with disease following Radio Tonga 1 remains on air with a mix of guests from in March 2010. Some Tongans have young woman from Punjab province Corporation to various parts of a flood, the importance of community organisations like The National Emergency Management bought their own copies and it gets in Pakistan was enthusiastically the country. This drama featured participation to mobilise collective rebroadcast from time to time. TV listening to Umeed e Sehr (Dawn fictitious characters in a fictitious efforts to face difficult situations, Office, The Red Cross and Government.” Tonga believes it is still relevant and of Hope), a drama series produced village in Pakistan, recovering from how to obtain emergency assistance

26 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 27 features | educate and inform | features Previous page, clockwise from top left: One year after the tsunami, 22 year old Rusdiana, sits in Banda Aceh, preparedness at a community level. that radio was the most effective tool services, at the same time as there is Indonesia, 2005, © Abbie Trayler-Smith, Panos Pictures; Electronics salvaged from the mud following flooding in Broadcasters can also play a role in for serving the public’s needs and tremendous pressure to deliver aid Bangladesh, 2009, © G.M.B Akash, Panos Pictures; Staff continuing to remind government access to information. The earthquake quickly, the mechanisms that are used record a weekly radio programme, sponsored by the Red Cross, to support people affected by the tsunami in Banda authorities that are tasked to deal had destroyed most Haitian radio may not be in accordance with rules Aceh, 2005, © Jenny Matthews, Panos Pictures with disaster management about the stations. The only one that remained and regulations applied during normal Left: Presenters of The Suara Aceh (Voice of Aceh) radio need for the government to be better was Signal FM, which managed to times. In addition, there are often show in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 2005, © Dermot Tatlow equipped in anticipation of a disaster, continue broadcasting to an audience substantial economic opportunities especially in areas historically known of nearly three million throughout the that arise from large-scale as disaster-prone areas. crisis. reconstruction, which easily create an In the phase in which the disaster The station produced round- opportunity for corruption, waste and is taking place, the media – especially the-clock information for families mismanagement. Irregularities range public service broadcasters – play a and rescue teams desperate for from the most severe type, such as role in early warning. With a good information. It helped locate missing corruption in reconstruction projects early warning system, there is a golden people, spread news to families to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by period, although of about one minute searching for lost loved ones and the disaster, to the simplest form, such only, before a disaster occurs. Many delivered messages to Haitians wastefulness of humanitarian aid. and how to earn income related to came into existence thanks to the are sufficient to demonstrate the things can be done in that short time on water resources and hospital Post-earthquake Haiti may be a emergency work after a disaster. extraordinary efforts and militancy tremendous potential of radio in by those who have been well trained information. Additionally, Signal FM good example to illustrate irregularities This programme was the reason of activists both in the humanitarian particular and of the media in general, to reduce the scale of the disaster. For helped save the lives of Haitians by in the form of wastefulness. A news why listeners like Rashida were field and the field of broadcasting, to be one of the important elements in example, the evacuation process can providing numerous reports to rescue report published by Newsweek tuning in. Rashida and others like through the initiative of Indonesia disaster reduction and management. be implemented more effectively and teams describing where immediate magazine, for example, stated the her claimed to have experienced Private Broadcast Radio Association, Radio conveys information during the somebody trained could turn off the aid was needed. Signal FM went on following: direct and tangible benefits from the with support from a number of phase shortly after the disaster (in the electricity and gas. to receive an award from a foundation Another example of not the best use programme. There was a listener who agencies including UNESCO. case of Suara Aceh), and can also help During the period shortly after, and in America, due to its tireless efforts of money: portable rock crushers that claimed that it was through Umeed Suara Aceh was on the air for to rebuild public confidence following some months after, the disaster, the that had truly exemplified the crucial convert rubble into sand and gravel, e Sehr that he found out about the about six months only, since it was a disaster (in the case of Umeed e Sehr broadcasters’ role shifts slightly so that role broadcasters play in providing which can then be used as building existence of the ‘cash and/or food established to serve communities drama series). it becomes part of the humanitarian information and resources to millions material. The microcrushers, which for work’ programme offered to during the emergency period, while In times of disaster, the roles relief effort. Broadcasters can carry out of people during times of crises. cost about $50,000 apiece, have been communities in flood affected areas. waiting for other radio stations that played by the media range from the various tasks, ranging from fundraising After all the critical stages have a godsend in some British cities, where This listener then gathered more were destroyed by the tsunami to be upstream to downstream. From the through to providing information on passed, it is by no means time for they were originally employed. But in information and managed to get rebuilt and operational. Although its period before the disaster occurs, to the distribution of humanitarian aid the media to pack up and leave. The Petit-Goâve, a coastal town that sits at emergency work, which earned him lifespan was short, Suara Aceh will the moments when a disaster takes and reuniting scattered families. In the public service broadcaster particularly, the Jan. 12 quake’s epicenter and where a living for his family. never be erased in the history and place; for the several weeks and case of post-tsunami Aceh in 2004 a is still required at the end phase, that 10 such machines are stationed, critics Before this, in Aceh, Indonesia, memories of the people of Aceh, months thereafter; and throughout private television station in Indonesia of reconstruction and rehabilitation, say they are a waste. “Equipment like an emergency radio station was because of its pivotal role in delivering the reconstruction and rehabilitation managed to collect donations from not only in the physical sense of this needs constant maintenance,” says successfully established and went on a variety of emergency information, process. Broadcasters, particularly the public. One television station, for rebuilding the ravaged buildings but one development worker who did not air on January 6, 2005, a little less ranging from how and where the PSBs, have the power to restore the example, raised more than 40 billion also in encouraging and building want to be named criticizing a USAID than two weeks after the tsunami public could obtain emergency confidence of communities affected Indonesian rupiah (equivalent to the self-confidence of the survivors project. “It’s great to train Haitians to hit the province on December 26, assistance, to reuniting families that by disaster. $5 million). The public broadcaster of disasters. In this phase public use and repair them, but when a hose 2004. This emergency radio station, had been scattered by the tsunami. In the earliest stage, when a disaster NHK, in Japan, also played a crucial service broadcasters could also blows or some other part breaks, where named Suara Aceh or Voice of Aceh, The previous two examples has not occurred, broadasters can part during the earthquake and become frontrunners in overseeing are the replacement parts going to come contribute in producing educational tsunami that hit parts of the country, the reconstruction process, as well as from?” And it’s unclear, she says, how programmes, containing information in March 2011. acting as a watchdog. useful sand and gravel products will be in “In the earliest stage, when a disaster has not occurred, and knowledge about various aspects In Haiti, during the emergency The process of reconstruction and neighborhoods already overwhelmed by broadcasters can contribute in producing educational of disaster. At this stage, broadcasters phase after the earthquake struck in rehabilitation in any post-disaster debris. “Some of the private companies programmes, containing information and knowledge are encouraged to be proactive and January 2010, many residents were situation is vulnerable to irregularities. that are here could remove three to five become "educational institutions” using new media technologies (SMS, Caused by the sudden flow of large times as much rubble for the amount of about various aspects of disaster.” to educate citizens and help to build Twitter, etc.). But it was also evident amounts of money, goods and money we’ll end up spending on this.”

28 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 29 features | educate and inform | features

"The role and the potential of the media, particularly public NO WOMAN’S service broadcasters, is widely recognised. But on the LAND ground there is still a wide gap between the knowledge Deputy Director of the International and its practical application." News Safety Institute, Hannah Storm, discusses INSI's work on safety and Post-tsunami Aceh similarly to implement their projects using But on the ground there is still a wide their new book documenting the resulted in an unprecedented response experience of female journalists the funds they received, with their gap between the knowledge and its reporting in dangerous situations. from the national and international main goal being how to spend the practical application. For example, communities, with a total of $7.2 funds immediately, without thinking it is still very rare to see broadcasters author billion pledged and nearly $7 of the real benefits, let alone the voluntarily dedicate themselves to Hannah Storm billion committed. The funds were sustainability of the projects. produce programmes on a regular administered and managed by a With these potential irregularities, basis to educate the public about photography newly-established agency responsible it is clear that the media, particularly various aspects of disaster. Not International News Safety Institute, London for coordinating and jointly PSBs, should act as an independent many broadcast organisations have implementing the recovery program. institution overseeing the recovery a good early warning system in place I joined the International News Safety had changed. in the Middle East and North Africa, Media later reported a number of process. If corruption had taken place and if they do, the system is rarely Institute a few months after visiting Camped on the runway of the INSI established a secure email alleged cases of irregularities in this without the knowledge of the media simulated and drilled. For broadcast Haiti as a producer with a London- airport in Port-au-Prince in the forum, allowing news desks and recovery process, which came in many in the first place, then they must find organisations, particularly public based television news crew to cover its aftermath of the earthquake, listening field teams from all over the world to forms, such as assistance that was not a way to scrutinise the situation. service broadcasters, the task of devastating earthquake. to the planes landing with aid, I share sensitive information affecting received by the intended recipients, Transparency International (TI) producing educational information It was a country I had fallen in remember thinking about the lengths journalists working in places where or embezzlement of the aid for has included the role of media in its and to put an early warning system love with six years earlier as a young to which news people go to shine a their safety might be compromised. personal use. For example, according manual in dealing with abuse of aid in place should be mandatory. Public journalist, trying to carve out the light in dark places, to tell the tales We coordinated a flow of to the Government’s reconstruction in disaster situations. TI believes that broadcasters should also have a career I had dreamt of for as long as I of those whose lives are turned upside information directly to around blueprint, each internally displaced ensuring public access to information Standard Operating Procedure to can remember. down by war, disaster and unrest. 70 journalists from more than 20 person was to receive aid in the form about aid activities is an essential be applied in the event of a disaster. In 2004, Haiti was a dangerous Earlier that day, in the hilltops countries and indirectly with many of cash and rice. The reality was that first step for enabling beneficiary Finally, PSBs should further enhance and dark place – with a curfew, the above Petit Goave, close to the hundreds more, exchanging details not all IDPs received the full aid involvement. Comprehensive their role as a watchdog in the process nightly reminder of a lawlessness epicentre of the earthquake, I had met about shifting frontlines, exit plans, that they were entitled to and some information strategies must also be of recovery. that manifested itself in kidnappings, a little girl whose eyes seared their way safe houses, trust-worthy fixers received no assistance at all. In another put in place by humanitarian agencies beheadings and rape. My days were into my soul. She had lost her mother. and communication shortages. We arya gunawan usis is the advisor for case, a UN agency planned to build and local /national authorities, to communication and information at the spent reporting on this violent, I thought of my little girl back home sought to help organisations whose 150 new schools in the neighbouring ensure aid effectiveness by providing unesco tehran cluster office having vibrant scene. In the evenings, and I knew then that this was a job journalists had been detained, and worked for 10 years with unesco jakarta. province that was also affected by the beneficiaries with the means to prior to joining unesco, he worked for gunfire provided the exotic chorus as for those braver than me – but that collated advice about best safety around 15 years as a journalist with the, disaster. That plan was encumbered by engage with aid and oversee activities. jakarta-based kompas newspaper and the we drank local rum in the hills above perhaps I could help tell the world the practice as our colleagues reported local officials who consistently asked Such strategies should ensure the bbc world service indonesian section. the chaotic capital, sharing stories and story-tellers’ stories too. from some of the most chaotic news for more money than was originally accessibility of information to all confidences with the motley crew of Fast forward a year and the frontlines for years. agreed, often for undisclosed reasons. sections of crisis-affected populations. foreigners who flock to a country on conversation in the newsrooms was We worked to help identify and In the case of post-tsunami Aceh, The role and the potential of the the edge. about a very different kind of news mitigate risk, knowing that no war I personally witnessed many agencies media, particularly public service It was an adrenalin-fuelled story and a very different kind of zone can ever be truly safe but still involved in rebuilding Aceh wanting broadcasters, is widely recognised. existence. I was naive and ill-prepared. challenge to news crews working in not anticipating the magnitude of The gunshot across the bow of the dangerous places. the risks that some journalists take to “With these potential irregularities, it is clear that the Brazilian UN vehicle I was travelling The Arab Spring has provided bring home the story. in through the slums tested my one of the most challenging safety In the 12 months since the start of media, particularly PSBs, should act as an independent reflexes but not my resolve. I vowed backdrops for journalists in recent the Arab Spring, 30 journalists died, institution overseeing the recovery process.” to return to Haiti to tell the story of years. many more were detained, hurt and its people but when I did everything During the early days of the unrest countless numbers were threatened,

30 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 31 features | no woman’s land | features “The events of the past year should be a wake-up call colleagues are. As one of our contributors A REPORTING to all public service broadcasters and their commercial eloquently wrote, I am very much the counterparts that they have a duty to protect those who understudy to the brave women in DISASTER? ‘No Woman’s Land’. I feel immensely daily go out in search of the news.” privileged to have worked with these In an excerpt taken from her longer ladies in compiling their stories. Fellowship Paper, Reuters Institute for simply doing their job. than a dozen countries, work in Stories which have inspired me and the Study of Journalism Fellow, Monika On February 11, 2011, the CBS radio, television, newspapers and terrified me, made me laugh and in Kalcsics, discusses the interdependence of media and aid agencies in a correspondent Lara Logan was online, cross five continents and span Lara’s case, made me cry. competitive compassion market. subjected to what her network has generations, religions and cultures. They strike a chord for many called “a brutal and sustained sexual Some of the women detail their reasons. Not least because – two years author assault”. This horrendous episode daily struggle to work in countries on from Haiti – I believe that the Monika Kalcsics opened a new chapter in the issue of where women are barely accepted in cacophony of safety challenges that the safety of women journalists. the media. Others tell of situations journalists face in writing the first photography At INSI, we were inundated with where they felt safer because they were rough draft of history have never been Panos Pictures, London requests for advice and tips for women women. Others pay tribute to the greater. journalists in dangerous situations. men they work with who also found Worldwide, only a small number The title had an explosive word in was persuading the listener the (DEC) had launched an emergency At the time there was no single their safety at risk. of news organisations take the issue of it: truth. ‘Haiti and the Truth about humanitarian system, in Haiti and by appeal to help the more than 10 point of reference. As we worked to Their contributions cover war and safety seriously. Many are simply not NGOs’, a 45min radio documentary, implication elsewhere, is a system that million people affected by severe create one, we realised that there could conflict, disaster and civil unrest, doing enough. The events of the past aired on 11th January 2011 on BBC has lost its moral compass and is tired drought. On the BBC website ‘To be no ‘one size fits all’ approach to the corruption and terror. They include year should be a wake-up call to all Radio 4. The timing of the programme if not completely broken.” make a donation’ information, debate about the safety of women episodes of harrowing assault, awe- public service broadcasters and their was no coincidence, exactly one year Six months later the BBC including a direct donation call journalists. inspiring bravery, lucky misses and commercial counterparts that they after a massive earthquake hit the dispatched TV news presenter Ben number, was added to the report. Should women be treated planned escapes. have a duty to protect those who daily Caribbean Island. Around 250,000 Brown to a disaster area. He reported These two events are symptomatic differently from their male colleagues? They are many things. But above go out in search of the news. people had lost their lives and another on a drought the Western public of the relationship between aid Some women said yes and others said all they are journalists. And they are ‘No Woman’s Land’ is available 1 million were affected. was largely unaware of. On 4th July agencies and the media: mutual no. Others said no and then secretly women. to buy online at www.newssafety. A year on, BBC radio journalist Brown sent a 2:05min report from the need and mutual mistrust mark their admitted they did not dare say yes, Their experiences and voices are org. Proceeds from the book will go Edward Stourton travelled to Haiti to world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab complex interdependence. Either the lest they ruin their chances of being their own. But for every contributor to support INSI’s safety training for look at problems in the aid industry. in Kenya, to a Western viewership. audience is given simplistic donations deployed to dangerous places. to ‘No Woman’s Land’, there are other women journalists. “How far has the way we help gone The report showed emaciated stories that do not give time or Were women at a greater risk than women who wanted to take part. bad?” he asked, concerned that the children’s bodies with flies around space to question the ‘how?’, or the hannah storm is the deputy director of their male colleagues solely because Some of them could not because of the international news safety institute. billions of dollars of donations and aid their eyes, and suffering, speechless audience is confronted with sharp of their gender? The answer to this sickness and injury, the physical and she was a journalist for over a decade, pledges were not reflected in the living adults. This time there was no public and increasingly polemical criticism during which time she reported for major depended greatly on the situation emotional toll of their journalism news organisations including the bbc, conditions of survivors. “Is what has criticism from aid agencies, although of aid agencies. Neither of these two reuters and the times and worked across and story. experiences still lying heavy with newspapers, radio, tv and online. happened in Haiti symptomatic of a the report used images of hunger extreme attitudes helps to understand We decided to pull together the them. wider crisis of humanitarianism?” The which ignore a basic principle of aid the complex realities on the ground. first book dedicated to the safety of There are others who had hoped radio documentary generated strong agencies to “recognise disaster victims Aid agencies are desperate to raise women journalists. ‘No Woman’s to but could not because of work or debate in online discussion forums as dignified humans, not hopeless awareness and public funds for their Land – On the Frontlines with Female family commitments. There are still amongst aid agencies. “It went for objects” (Sphere Project). humanitarian work and the news Reporters’ is a tribute to all the brave more we could have and should have the jugular”, wrote John Mitchell, But this report came at the media are determined to generate women around the world who work asked. director of the humanitarian think beginning of an untold crisis, one readers, ratings and revenue. in the media. I know that some of the contributors tank ALNAP [The Active Learning which needed the focus of a big The world looks likely to face an Lara Logan wrote the foreword found writing their accounts to be Network for Accountability and broadcaster to become visible. Four increasing number of catastrophes in for the book which contains articles a very painful process. I know that Performance in Humanitarian days later, Brown’s report ‘Horn future. The World Disasters Report written by wives and mothers, sisters many of the women underestimate Action], on AlertNet, a newswire of Africa: ‘A vision of hell’ was 2011 looks back on a decade of and daughters, colleagues and friends. quite how brave and remarkable dedicated to humanitarian issues, accompanied by the news that the catastrophes concluding that more Its 40 contributors come from more their achievements and those of their “It seemed to me that Stourton UK Disasters Emergency Committee people died as a result of disasters in

32 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 33 features | a reporting disaster? | features the aid message to a Western audience journalist Dan Gillmor defines as money or to show donors what they in future be more disputes over vital “The World Disasters Report 2011 looks back on a of potential donors. So will disasters the '1440-minute news-cycle' – are are doing, means the main focus is on resources we all share, such as water, decade of catastrophes concluding that more people continue to be covered in the media, replacing the TV-based 24-hour international media” (Ross, 2004). food, oil and habitable land. and if so by whom? news-cycle, writes Nicola Bruno in But AlertNet’s Tim Large argues that Instead of regionalising global died as a result of disasters in 2010 than in any other In a report last year, Glenda Cooper his research for the Reuters Institute the humanitarian response needs to be humanitarianism, a process which year in the last decade.” claims that in addressing this question, for the Study of Journalism. Bruno opened up much more to local media, gazes at the world from a Western aid agencies have become more adept, quotes Joshua E. Keating in Foreign since most of the work is done by local perspective, the media and aid 2010 than in any other year in the condition for significant coverage of “turning themselves into reporters for Policy that the earthquake in Haiti players, “Given that it is so trendy to agencies need to include more local last decade. In two years alone, we a humanitarian crisis’ and national the mainstream media, providing was the first 'Twitter Disaster' (Bruno, say we work with local partners, there voices. It has become common for aid were confronted with four major political and economic interests are cash-strapped foreign desks with 2011). is still very little attention paid to local agencies to say they work with local disasters: the Haiti earthquake, a better guide to press interest than footage and words gratis”(Cooper, Where does this leave us? Although media.” partners, yet there is little attention flooding in Pakistan, the Japanese human suffering.” 2011). While there is an increasing the use of social media in covering The self-regarding nature of paid to local media, who are central earthquake and tsunami and the The amount of attention a void in foreign reporting by the news is much discussed, there is international media and aid agencies in to informing the population in famine in East Africa. With the last disaster receives also influences how conventional media, there is a hugely much less analysis of the impact communicating a disaster leads to local the aftermath of a disaster. Media of these not included in the report, much humanitarian assistance and competitive ‘compassion market’. On on the quality of information we voices still being surprisingly rarely organisations should put the foreign it still concludes that these disasters donations it attracts. At the same the one hand the major humanitarian get. “News is also, what journalists heard. This applies not only to local into foreign correspondent. It makes “mark an ‘exponential change in crisis time, it is well established that foreign agencies have become slicker, PR- make it”, reaffirms Natalie Fenton aid workers and beneficiaries as Simon sense for stories to be told from the scale and impact’ and foreshadow a news reporting is facing turbulent focused media operations that want of Goldsmiths in 'New Media, Old Cottle and David Nolan suggest, but perspective of journalists familiar time of increasingly complex crises times. “Are foreign correspondents to feed a content-hungry disaster News', “Their working environment also local media, which play a key role with the situation on the ground. and multiple, simultaneous disasters” redundant?” asks Richard Sambrook news market. On the other hand, the is shaped by economic, social, political in informing the local population Parachute journalism from a Western (IFRC, 2011). in his recent study about the disaster area has become much more and technological factors, all of in the aftermath of a disaster. What perspective reinforces the Western- Does this mean that disaster changing face of international news. crowded. The last two decades have which form a dense inter-meshing of surprises Tim Large about this is, “with centric view of humanitarianism and reporting will be more important He says, “The economic pressures of witnessed the rise of new aid agencies, commercial, ethical regulatory and all this lip service about accountability it prolongs the cliché picture of the than ever? What are the conditions maintaining overseas newsgathering especially MONGOs, [an acronym cultural components.” (Fenton, 2010) to beneficiaries, lip service to working ‘active white saviour’ and the ‘passive for a disaster becoming newsworthy? have seen the numbers of bureaux for My own NGO, small NGO’s set These are the challenging conditions with local partners, all this sort of stuff, indigenous victim’. Amongst many studies on this issue, and correspondents persistently up by anyone who wants to help]. in which humanitarian organisations you would think this would be just Communicating from disasters is the CARMA Report on Western reduced by major Western news At the same time, the changing and news media meet nowadays in basic – communication with affected experiencing a transformation, not Media Coverage of Humanitarian organisations over the last 20 years nature of technology opens up new disaster zones. populations via local media. But it’s only because of new media. For the Disasters summarises the complexities or more.” This lack of foreign news and diverse ways of collecting and Are we getting ethical information still seen as a radical idea, not at all future of information gathering, it is of communicating distant suffering coverage directly affects aid agencies’ distributing information for both when reporters and aid workers are so mainstream.” interesting to note that the reduction with these strong, radical words: ability to communicate from disaster reporters and aid workers in the dependent on each other in a disaster Disaster reporting will be more of foreign bureaux is principally a “Western self-interest is the pre- zones. Their focus lies in transmitting field. Live blog formats – which zone? Both are communicating essential than ever in the future, Western phenomenon, according to disasters in a media market that is in because disasters have consequences Richard Sambrook. “In Asia, with transformation. While the ethics of in an interconnected world. The the prospect of major economic journalism in disaster zones is widely internet has shrunk the world. We growth, news organisations may be discussed, there is a lack of research now see pictures of despair instantly, set for an era of expansion. And in into the relationship between aid through diverse communication the developing world countries and agencies and the media, as well as the technologies, and hear unmediated continents are building their own implications of this. voices from chaotic situations. There journalistic capacity – with long-term In 2004, the Fritz Institute, together are flows of people around the world consequences for the global flow of with AlertNet conducted the biggest following many of these catastrophes information and the character of ever report about humanitarian relief and those who arrived in previous public debate.” and its struggle to make the news agenda. waves may well influence a country

Previous page: A young boy escapes the violence The report showed some fundamental towards reporting and contributing monika kalcsics is a fellow at the reuters that erupted in Haiti following the earthquake in 2010, problems in the relationship between to the rescue of those affected. People institute for the study of journalism at © Christian Als/ Berlingske, Panos Pictures oxford university and a freelance radio aid agencies and the media, “The focus travel more these days and may well journalist and producer for the austrian Left: Children walk among dust and shelters in the the NGOs put on the need to satisfy have experience of countries in which broadcaster, orf. a full length copy of Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya, 2011 © Frederic Courbet, monika’s fellowship paper can be found at Panos Pictures donors, whether that’s the need to raise disasters unfold. Moreover, there will www.reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk

34 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 35 in focus | namibian broadcasting corporation | in focus

IN FOCUS NAMIBIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 10 422 94 In Focus takes a look at the internal workings of a different international Public Service Broadcaster different Namibian members of staff make percent of the Namibian every issue. This time we travel to Namibia and hear from NBC’s Director General, Albertus language services are up the total NBC team population is reached by Aochamub. Speaking to the CBA’s Mandy Turner, Aochamub argues as long as there is openness offered by NBC Radio NBC Radio and 84 per cent and transparency, he sees no reason why the NBC should not become a world-class broadcaster. has access to NBC TV author Mandy Turner

The NBC operates a single television channel, primarily a sense of belonging as we refl ect our complex national The model needs to be understood and evolved within "Public broadcasting is an essential in English, with some news programming in German heritage. This is certainly true in Namibia but also across the realms of our national reality. Generally, there is and indigenous languages. It had a monopoly on free- all countries beset with the evils of one or the other –ism. no argument against ownership of the broadcaster cornerstone of any democratic society. to-air television in Namibia until 2008 when One Africa Whilst we inform, educate and entertain, we as public through a complex web of stakeholders. What remains We are publicly funded and thus need to Television, a new privately owned television station, was broadcasters have the added challenge of remaining a challenge is how to fund the operation in the public drive the national agenda of unifying a launched. commercially viable so that we do not rely on the public interest and to provide content that speaks to the purse alone. A need, therefore, exists for striking a diverse nature of the country. Additionally, when you previously divided nation as a result of the HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE careful balance between the commercial imperatives of have divergent interests at board level, it often causes racist Apartheid system." CURRENT BROADCASTING SCENE IN business and our public mandate to serve. confl icts, which render the broadcaster ineffective NAMIBIA? as well. Having said that, if the mandate is clearly WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD It is an open market where we face stiff competition, HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT HAS defi ned and understood, most of these challenges FOR NBC? especially in the radio space. With the advent of NEW COMPETITION, EG PRIVATE TV can be managed. The future is bright. We have started off on the road digitalisation we expect competition to further intensify STATIONS, HAD ON NBC? to DTT and hope that we can begin to implement the as more frequencies become available. But we shall Advertisers now have more choices when deciding on HOW IS NBC ADDRESSING THESE ambitious promises that DTT holds. Our business model be geared up for that onslaught. We are a public where to place their materials. In that sense we cannot ISSUES? will change to embrace this new reality. We are confi dent broadcaster with a commercial mind set and will be complacent when planning our programming. We are in the early stages of a long road. Generally, our that we will leave this place in a slightly better shape compete for audiences through providing the right Having said that, our competitive advantage still lies in attitude is to simply implement the key building blocks than we found it in 2010. programming to stay relevant. the area of national reach and coverage. We are the only for PSB without too much debate and fanfare around it. broadcaster that offers 10 Namibian language services We know that it is an imperative for the future and too ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR PSB WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE and covers most of the country. Ironically, many of our much debate and arguing would result in undue delays. MODELS OUTSIDE OF NAMIBIA THAT KEY REMITS OF PUBLIC SERVICE competitors share our infrastructure, which we gladly We just need to get on with it. YOU ADMIRE? BROADCASTING? agree to in order to minimise duplication of resources We know that 4 models are worth exploring. They are Public broadcasting is an essential cornerstone of any and pollution of our natural environment. To what extent WHAT ARE NBC’S KEY found in the UK, Canada, Australia and recently South democratic society. We are publicly funded and thus this is sustainable in the long term remains to be seen. RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEIR Africa, with its numerous challenges.They all have some need to drive the national agenda of unifying a previously AUDIENCES? merits within their national contexts but ultimately the divided nation as a result of the racist Apartheid system. WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES Our mandate is to educate, inform and entertain. Our fi nal offering has to be home-grown, building on the The accent has to be on forging a united Namibian SURROUNDING PUBIC SERVICE key concern at present is the extent to which we need fi rm conceptual frameworks that have been developed identity borne out of the desire for giving all our citizens BROADCASTING IN NAMIBIA? to stay relevant by providing content that speaks to the over time. needs of our audiences. 36 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 37 briefing | natural disasters | briefing BRIEFING NATURAL DISASTERS CHECKLIST: YOUR EMERGENCY BROADCAST PLAN Anthony Frangi provides an introductory guide for programme and newsmakers, programme directors and radio managers on what to do before, during and after a natural disaster • Activate your emergency broadcast may want to put some of them to • Educate them on the dangers and plan. Check staff contact details. air, others are purely for information how to prepare. • Broadcast warnings at regular gathering. Remember to take down • Refer them to your website

ORE intervals and regularly check their phone number in the event you (emergency page) for information. weather radar. want to call them back. • Monitor other media. When natural disasters strike, it is not just another day at broadcast equipment, such as a mobile phone. BE F • Arrange interviews with various • Liaise closely with your newsroom. • Access social media reports and the station – additional staff will be called in and required • Promote your station for its emergency coverage and disaster agencies. • Remind listeners of your ongoing post information to your followers to work extended hours, emergency agencies will want education. • Ask listeners for information – you coverage and to remain safe. on Twitter and Facebook. to broadcast information. Never take it for granted that • Establish an emergency page on your station website. people know what to do in an emergency. • Set-up Twitter and Facebook links to inform listeners of • Continue to broadcast warnings • Encourage listeners (if safe) to • Remind listeners about staying safe a storm or to promote an upcoming segment. Share at regular intervals (every 15 upload photos or video to your (don’t drive unless essential, seek It is the role of the radio to: vital information with your followers. minutes). website. shelter, stay away from fallen power • Help listeners prepare for emergencies (even before • Continue to interview various • Continue to post information on lines). disasters strike). When there is a crisis such as a bushfire or rising emergency agencies for up-to-date Twitter and Facebook. • Remind listeners of your ongoing

• Reassure listeners that everything possible is being floodwaters, do not expect people to be glued to the URIN G information. • Continue to monitor other media. live coverage. done. radio, it is most likely they are out defending their home or D • Continue to broadcast emergency • Report damage (road closures, • Refer them to your website • Assist emergency service agencies in broadcasting community. Repeat essential information frequently and contacts and advice to listeners. flooding, damage to buildings, (emergency page) for relevant information on matters such as road closures, broadcast only what you know to be true. It is not unusual • Ask listeners to report what they power, water and other essential information and tips on how to floodwaters, shelters, food drops, medical information and is also beneficial to hear the same info repeated every can see. services). stay safe. and rescue co-ordination. 15 minutes or at specific times. After each emergency • Stimulate volunteerism and donations. update, advise your listeners when they will hear the next • Continue to broadcast warnings flooding, damage to buildings and • (If required) Consult health one – even if there’s nothing new to report. Their life may (where possible) and emergency essential services such as drinking departments for information Presenters are expected to know what to do in an depend on it. contacts at regular intervals and water etc). • Interview experts on the extent of emergency and to demonstrate leadership in the It is important to be aware of how emergency urge listeners to contact the • Report evacuations (if any). the disaster. community. If you want your station to work during a agencies operate. Take the time to visit the various relevant authorities if they need • (If required) Interview disaster • Remind listeners about staying natural disaster, here are a few tips: agencies, including NGOs that handle emergencies and assistance. coordinators (or appropriate safe (driving, damage to property, • Develop an emergency broadcast plan for your station. talk to them about what they do. In return, they will have • Ask listeners (if safe) to report what person). Has an emergency centre drinking water).

This should include back-up plans for temporary studios greater respect for what you do on the air. Building strong AFTER they witness. opened? Is emergency funding • Determine extent of rolling and transmission, should they become inoperable. partnerships is vital for your station to operate effectively. • Encourage listeners (if safe) to available to the public? coverage (consult with PD or • Conduct annual training sessions/workshops for staff Following a disaster, you will need to decide on the upload photos and videos. • (If required) Report changes to Manager). on how to broadcast emergency information effectively. degree of live coverage and when it is appropriate to • Promote website. transport i.e. flights/train services. • What are the volunteering agencies Invite emergency agencies to assist you. suspend rolling coverage. Listeners will want to know the • Report power outages. • (If required) Report messages from doing. Do they need your help? • Foster a strong knowledge of the broadcast area. level of damage, the state of essential services such as • Report damage (road closures, schools, businesses etc. • Is there a donations register? Have a map of your region in the studio. power, drinking water and sewerage, safety of others and • Encourage staff to engage with the local community. how soon life will get back to normal. • Develop a comprehensive contacts book with essential Set aside hourly, daily or weekly spots devoted to the OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS: there enough fuel? accessed by the public are active. phone numbers for government agencies, emergency recovery process. Make them practical and do not dwell • Is the radio building safe? • What are your plans if the • Does the station have sufficient services, local community organisations, schools, unnecessarily on the negatives – introduce stories of • What is your back-up plan if transmitter fails? Is there a portable food and water supplies for hospitals, experts etc. Update these lists regularly. hope and resilience. the building is damaged? transmission device available? extended hours of broadcasting? • Become familiar with the technical equipment so that it Be mindful of the information you gain from social media • Is the generator operational? Is • Check emergency numbers does not fail you on the day. and consider verifying matters of concern with the relevant anthony frangi is director of learning-engagement, innovation and development for the school of journalism and communication at • Have an emergency travel kit for reporters and include authorities. That way, your station will remain a powerful the university of queensland. a copy of anthony’s radio handbook on covering natural disasters is available on request and is free of items such as wet weather clothing and portable and credible tool for listeners during times of crisis. charge. email: [email protected]

38 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 39 technical review | field communications in an emergency | technical review

TECHNICAL REVIEW It is important that whatever system used it is not left a file based system in place, as the standby system to collect dust in a cupboard to be used only in the event merely mirrors the media in the main system so that the FIELD COMMUNICATIONS of an emergency. The best systems are those that can be planned output can continue. integrated into normal operations and so get daily use. In the situation of extended outages, graphics But what if the broadcast station itself is out of action? requirement might be beyond what the broadcasters’ IN AN EMERGENCY Most broadcasters will have emergency facilities in standby arrangements provide. In this case use can The CBA’s Technology Consultant reviews the current technology that is available place. This could be a regional site equipped to take be made of cloud services from companies such as for reporting from the field in an emergency. over the control of the channels or news service, a Chyron. All that is needed is an internet connection of reciprocal arrangement with a fellow broadcaster or a at least 1Mbs and a PC or laptop with a browser. The author Neil Dormand standby arrangement with a service provider, maybe in normal graphics power expected from a company such another country. If none of these are an option then an as Chyron is then available without any further kit needed off the shelf channel in a box solution on a separate site, on station. Of course cloud computing is not restricted maybe the main transmitter site, could be the answer. to graphics preparation. Services for editing and back Products range from the low cost NewTek Tricaster offices processes are also available. to Miranda’s top of the range ITX system, with many Clearly all of these products are not confined to choices from the likes of Autocue, Pebble Beach, emergency use. It is preferable that they are in daily use or Play Box, Snell and others in between. This solution regularly checked to ensure that they will perform when is particularly beneficial if the broadcaster already has all else has failed. In an emergency situation one of the biggest technical common and easy to use by non-technical staff. What is problems faced by any broadcaster is ensuring that they more, BGAN can be used in any country, although local can get radio and TV reports back from the disaster area regulatory restrictions may apply. TECHNICAL CASE STUDY: especially the mobile operators. The • the mobile phone networks in a timely fashion; live if possible. This is particularly Whilst BGAN offers the most compact and universally DISASTER PREPAREDNESS station manager's TV station was • and the broadcasters (both the case when the disaster, crisis or emergency is in available system for video communication, there are other IS PAYING THE DIGITAL producing programmes with digital commercial and public) trying to a remote area or at times when all normal methods of small transportable satellite terminals of a more traditional DIVIDEND equipment but the transmission links get contributions from the disaster communication are compromised. nature. One of the newest is Man Pak from SISLIVE. It is to outer islands were still analogue. areas to the studio and distribute Satellites are often relied on to provide the solution a single unit VSAT terminal weighing 12kgs and provides author Jonathan Marks Not enough money was available to the programme back to relay but sometimes even they cannot be used because of a high bandwidth connection capable of high speed data re-equip the towers with the right transmitters. difficulties in getting a dish in place fast enough. and HD SNG transmissions. It is IATA compliant, having I remember sitting next to a station equipment. So what could be done? We built a plan to be used when A new option, which seems to surmount this problem, a total dimension of 62 inches, meaning that it can be manager from one of the Pacific islands We realized that his station was the the Government declared an area to is BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network), a carried as standard aircraft luggage and is rucksack who explained a problem to me. He only network in the country that had be a disaster zone, whereby the digital system developed and operated by the UK company transportable. The unit features a high performance had been advised by a Government nearly universal coverage of the whole bandwidth via the terrestrial network Inmarsat. The service provides satellite access to the 60cm parabolic antenna and can be used in X, Ku and department that the International island chain. Should a typhoon hit the was distributed fairly amongst the Internet from almost anywhere in the world. The speed Ka bands. Telecommunication Union in Geneva islands, his network was probably the users. We were able to build the new of the connection is up to 500kbps data (450kbps There are further transportable satellite terminals has ruled that TV broadcast networks most likely to remain intact. However, network by applying for grants from streaming) and you only pay for the amount of data on the market, such as the Rockwell Collins SWE- need to go digital by 17th June 2015. it was only designed to operate one disaster preparedness funds set up used. The size and nature of the terminal determines the DISH CCT120 Suitcase System. This is not a single This is largely due to the fact that way, sending a signal from the studios after the Indian Ocean Tsunami of connection speed, the smallest measuring 217x168mm unit however it does pack down to a similar size to the compression systems now available to the repeaters on distant islands. 2005. Until that fateful day comes, and weighing 1.4kilos (3lb) and the largest measuring ManPak. The downside is that it weighs 41kgs. for digital television systems allow So a plan was made to build a the broadcaster tests the network 399x297mm and weighing 3.2kilos (7lb), both of which For low cost voice-only communications, service the transmission of up to six standard digital network that differed from every day by using it to distribute are a similar weight and size to a laptop. The system providers such as Marlink use the Iridium network of definition digital television channels the existing system in that it was two- programmes across the nation. It uses IP and therefore can carry data, voice and video. 66 low orbit satellites. The whole of the earth’s surface in the radio-frequency spectrum way and was content agnostic. It was works like a dream. Voice quality is excellent for radio, however video quality is covered including, unlike BGAN, the Polar Regions. that was previously used by a single simply a microwave pipe of data. We is restricted, although good enough in an emergency All that is required are small hand held telephones. Data analogue channel. The ITU is anxious analysed who would use such a system jonathan marks is a writer, broadcaster, trainer and consultant. he also runs a for live pieces to camera and static shots of the scene. speeds up to 128Kbs are available and the system to increase the efficiency of terrestrial in the case of a natural disaster. The knowledge network, critical distance, Store and forward techniques can be employed for high connects into the public telephone service so all that is broadcasters, so that the space freed answer was three-fold: which is building next generation radio and tv stations, where social media is quality pre-recorded shoots. The terminals are available needed is the country code and telephone number to up can be allocated to other users, • emergency health and welfare services integrated into daily production. from a number of manufacturers but all the interface are make a connection.

40 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue issue 1 | 41 bibiography | features BIBLIOGRAPHY how we report the world Haiti's Signal FM Radio to be Honored at NABEF's Landscape, Nieman Journalism Lab, 23 November dr martin scott, page 11 Service to America Awards, 90.5 Signal FM’s website. 2009 www.signalfmhaiti.com/index.php?option=com_cont British Red Cross (2008) Red Cross launches conflict ent&view=article&id=2327:haitis-signal-fm-radio-to- Ross, Steven (2004) Toward new understandings: zone campaign. Red Cross Press Release. ICM Survey. be-honored-at-nabefs-service-to-americaawards&catid Journalists & Humanitarian Relief Coverage. San http://prospectsforpeace.blogspot.com/ =44:cooperation. Francisco, Fritz Institute: http://www.fritzinstitute.org/ PDFs/Case-Studies/Media_study_wAppendices.pdf Penrose, H. (2011) Exploring attitudes to media Hamad, Ibnu (2005) Tsunami Aceh: Komunikasi Di coverage of humanitarian crises amongst journalists and Tengah Bencana, Jakarta UNESCO Jakarta Office, Cottle, Simon and Nolan, David (2009) How the press officers. Paper presented at the Dispatches from 2005, 138 pp media's codes and rules influence the ways NGOs Disaster Zones conference, commissioned by British work in NGOs and the News: Exploring a Changing Red Cross, 30th September 2011, London. Phyza, Jameel (2011) Radio drama gives hope, Communication Landscape, Nieman Journalism Lab, VOICES UNESCO in the Asia-Pacific No.28 16 November 2009

CARMA International (2006) The CARMA Report: October – December 2011. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ © Reuters/Peter MacDairmid Western media coverage of Humanitarian Disasters. images/0021/002148/214821e.pdf

Cottle, S. (2008) Global Crisis Reporting: Journalism in Interlandi, Jeneen (2010) For Haiti, No Relief in Sight, the Global Age. Open University Press. McGraw-Hill Newsweek. November 15, 2010: 43-47. Education. London Improving the standards of Transparency International Preventing Corruption in Cottle, S. (2006) Mediatized Conflict: Developments Humanitarian Aid, A Handbook of Good Practices, in media and conflict studies. Maidenhead Open www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/ University Press humanitarian_assistance international journalism DFID (2000) Viewing the World. London, DFID. Moe, Ye Naing (2010) A Disaster After Another, South- East Asia Press Alliance (SEAPA), published on 12 May Dover, C. and S. Barnett (2004) The world on the box: 2010. www.seapabkk.org/seapa-fellowship/fellowship- international issues in news and factual programmes 2005-program/48-a-disaster-after-another.html on UK television 1975-2003. London, International Broadcasting Trust Free, independent and responsible a reporting disaster? journalism and strong stable news Hammock, J. & Chamy, J. (1996) ‘Emergency monika kalcsics, page 33 Response as a Morality Play’, in Rotberg, R. & Weiss, organisations are crucial for democracy. It sounds clichéd to say that two T (eds). From Massacres to Genocide: The Media, Sphere Project The Code of Conduct for the semesters in Oxford changed Public Policy and Humanitarian Crises. The Brookings International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism marks my life, but they have. I have Institutions. Washington DC. 115-135. and Non-Governmental Organisations in Disaster the University of Oxford’s commitment to create an never realized how much I have Relief: www.sphereproject.org/content/view/146/84/ international research centre in the comparative study Joye, S. (2010) News media and the (de)construction lang,English/. internalized fear while working of risk: How Flemish newspapers select and of journalism. as a journalist and editor in Egypt cover international disasters. Catalan Journal of Carma International (2006) The CARMA Report on Communication & Cultural Studies. 2:2 253–266. Western Media Coverage of Humanitarian Disasters, for 12 years. I did not want to be www.imaging-famine.org/images/pdfs/carma_%20 The Journalism Fellowship Programme at the afraid any more. Moeller, S. D. (1999) Compassion fatigue : how the report.pdf. Reuters Institute media sell disease, famine, war, and death. New York, Abdalla, Egypt Almost 500 mid-career journalists from 93 countries Routledge. Sambrook, Richard (2010) Are Foreign Correspondents Redundant? The changing face of international have come to Oxford over the past 28 years to improve It was a year like no other. Rosenblum, M. (1979) Coups and earthquakes: Reporting news, RISJ Challenges, Oxford. their professional knowledge and study issues important the world for America. New Yorks, Harper & Row. Sunday, Nigeria to the development of their news organisations in Cooper, Glenda (2011) From their own correspondent? Scott, M. (2009) The world in focus: How UK New media and the change in disasters coverage: their countries. Sponsoring news organisations and I’ve learned that the passion for audiences connect with the wider world and the lessons to be learnt, Reuters Institute for the Study foundations include: journalism is the same among all of international context of news in 2009. London, of Journalism, Oxford, May 2011, p.28: http:// International Broadcasting Trust, CBA. the fellows here but the obstacles reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/ • ABC Australia Publications/Working_Papers/From_Their_ Own_ we face are totally different. Trust, B. (2006) BBC Public Purpose Remit: Bringing Correspondent.pdf • Austrian Press Association Sampo, Finland the UK to the world and the world to the UK BBC. • BBC and BBC Media Action London. Bruno, Nicola (2011) Tweet first, verify later? How • British Council Chevening Scholarship real-time information is changing the coverage of My experience will enrich my VSO (2001) Live Aid Legacy: The developing world worldwide crisis events, Reuters Institute for the Study • Gerda Henkel Foundation career and indeed my life. through British eyes. London, Voluntary Services of Journalism, Oxford, 2011. http://reutersinstitute. • Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Overseas. politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/Publications/ Kangliang, China fellows_papers/2010-2011/TWEET_FIRST_ • Open Society Foundations VERIFY_LATER.pdf • Thomson Reuters Foundation educate and inform arya gunawan usis, page 27 Fenton, Natalie (ed.) (2010) New Media, Old News. Journalism & Democracy in the Digital Age, Sage Guerin, Bill (2006) After the tsunami, waves of Publications, London. corruption, Asia Times Online, 20 September 2006. Fenton, Natalie (2009) Has the Internet changed how If you are interested in establishing a journalism fellowship www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HI20Ae01. NGOs work with established media?, in NGOs and REUTERS html the News: Exploring a Changing Communication for your organisation, please contact Sara Kalim, Institute INSTITUTE forthe Administrator at [email protected]

42 | media leadership in crisis, disaster and emergency issue STUDY of issue 1 | 43 JOURNALISM http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/home.html

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