Presentation on media and communications in humanitarian response. Presented at Fordham University's International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance course (IDHA), Berlin, Germany, March 2013.
1. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Media and Communications in
Emergencies
1
Oxfam
video
about
hygiene
promo5on
in
northern
Hai5,
2010
2. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Journalist
in
Aleppo,
Syria.
Photo:
AFP
Who is “the media”?
2
3. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
The
Commi)ee
to
Protect
Journalists
(CPJ)
reports
that
in
2012:
67
journalists
died
because
they
were
journalists
-‐
32
were
murdered
-‐
12
were
on
dangerous
assignments
-‐
25
were
caught
in
the
crossfire
or
in
combat
232
journalists
were
imprisoned
for
their
profession
in
2012.
These are journalists…
3
4. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
CPJ report continued -
Syria
was
by
far
the
deadliest
country
in
2012,
with
28
journalists
killed
in
combat
or
targeted
for
murder
by
government
or
opposi?on
forces.
In
addi?on,
a
journalist
covering
the
Syrian
conflict
was
killed
just
over
the
border
in
Lebanon.
With
internaConal
journalists
blocked
and
tradiConal
domesCc
media
under
state
control,
ciCzen
journalists
picked
up
cameras
and
notepads
to
document
the
conflict
—and
at
least
13
of
them
paid
the
ulCmate
price.
One,
Anas
al-‐Tarsha,
was
only
17
years
old.
At
least
five
of
the
ci?zen
journalists
worked
for
Damascus-‐based
Shaam
News
Network,
whose
videos
have
been
used
extensively
by
interna?onal
news
organiza?ons.
hGp://cpj.org/2013/02/aGacks-‐on-‐the-‐press-‐in-‐2012.php
4
5. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
This is also a member of the
media:
5
Glenn
Beck,
formerly
of
Fox
News,
USA
6. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
What is the media?
The
media
is
a
means
to
an
end,
not
an
end
in
itself.
It
is
a
channel
for
communicaQng
informaQon
–
whether
biased
or
unbiased
–
to
a
chosen
audience.
6
7. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Means for communicating
Print
(newspapers,
magazines,
etc)
Television
Radio
On
the
Internet:
• Social
media
(Facebook,
TwiGer)
• Email
(newsleGer)
• Dedicated
website
(example:
Huffington
Post)
• Blogs
7
Flickr,
NS
Newsflash
8. Who
makes
the
decisions
about
what
they
report?
What
is
their
bias?
Who
funds
them
and
how
much?
Who
is
their
audience?
March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Some questions to ask yourself
about media outlets:
8
9. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
To work with the media…
You
have
to
understand
them.
You
can’t
just
reflexively
scapegoat
them.
Have
a
posiQve
but
cauQous
aftude.
9
AnQ-‐corrupQon
acQvist
gives
an
interview
on
Austrian
radio,
2012
10. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
What is communications in
emergencies?
10
Communica5ons
in
emergencies
isn’t
always
as
‘glamorous’
as
this!
11. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Communication is advocacy
11
12. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Ways to reach the public
Through
the
channel
of
the
media
Speak
directly
to
the
public
12
Pakistan
Red
Crescent/IFRC
public
communica5ons
ini5a5ve
in
Pakistan,
2010
hIp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1gvgnBlvf8
13. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Who are you trying to reach?
The
people
you’re
trying
to
communicate
with
are
called
your
“targets”
Who
your
targets
are
will
be
determined
by
your
objecQve
for
a
given
communicaQons
acQvity
13
14. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Potential targets: in the disaster
area
People
affected
by
the
emergency
People
receiving
assistance
from
your
organizaQon
(beneficiaries)
Decision-‐makers
(community
leaders,
local
authoriQes,
naQonal
authoriQes)
InternaQonal
community
(representaQves
in
the
disaster
area)
Donors
(in
the
disaster
area)
14
15. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Potential targets: external
The
general
public
(awareness-‐raising,
pressure
group
on
decision-‐makers)
Donors
Decision-‐makers
(foreign
governments,
UN)
ExisQng
supporters
(for
grassroots
acQvism,
pressure
group
on
decision-‐makers)
15
16. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
What are your objectives?
Will
vary
by
your
targets
But
generally,
they
are:
• Inform
people
about
the
situaQon
• Seek
to
influence
people
to
take
acQon
or
make
a
certain
decision
that
will
affect
the
situaQon
• Raise
funds
for
your
programs
• Strengthen
your
organizaQonal
brand
oa
strong
brand
facilitates
all
of
the
above
16
17. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Interviews: the good…
17
Oxfam’s
Marcel
Stoessel
speaks
to
al-‐Jazeera
television
from
Kinshasa
in
2010.
The
video
quality
is
poor,
but
Stoessel
delivers
a
basic
but
compelling
message
with
a
strong
voice.
hIp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30_3ll233mM
18. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Interviews: the bad (and ugly)
18
In
this
30-‐minute
al-‐
Jazeera
documentary
on
Hai5
six
months
aZer
the
2010
earthquake,
several
officials
show
what
not
to
do
in
an
interview:
flat-‐out
denial
before
the
ques5on
is
fully
posed;
lack
of
sympathy
for
vic5ms;
lack
of
demonstrated
understanding
of
the
situa5on.
hIp://
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=rx2EQxZ7MXQ
19. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
What would you do?
1.
You're
a
nurse
in
a
cholera
treatment
center
and
you're
tending
to
pa?ents
in
urgent
need
of
IVs.
Suddenly
you
see
several
people
enter
with
cameras,
and
they
have
badges
to
show
they're
from
the
Associated
Press.
They're
walking
around
the
clinic
taking
pictures
of
the
pa?ents.
What
do
you
do?
2.
Figh?ng
in
the
countryside
has
caused
150,000
IDPs
to
flee
to
the
main
city.
Just
as
they're
arriving
a
huge
rainstorm
hits.
The
newspaper
The
Bangkok
Post
calls
and
asks
what's
happening
to
the
IDPs
and
what
your
organiza?on
is
doing
about
it.
What
do
you
say?
3.
You're
a
doctor
with
the
Red
Cross
and
you've
had
to
temporarily
close
your
clinic
because
there
are
poli?cal
riots
and
neither
your
healthcare
workers
nor
pa?ents
can
access
the
clinic
(riots
are
blocking
roads).
Al-‐Jazeera
calls
and
wants
to
have
your
comment
about
the
clinic
closure
and
the
poli?cal
violence.
What
do
you
say?
4.
You're
out
in
rural
Kenya,
mee?ng
community
leaders
about
a
project
your
organiza?on
is
shu]ng
down.
Your
phone
rings
and
it's
the
BBC
in
London,
calling
to
ask
for
your
comment
about
reports
they've
received
that
your
country
director
is
embezzling
funds.
You've
never
heard
of
this
before.
What
do
you
say
to
the
person
on
the
phone?
What
do
you
a^er
you
get
off
the
phone?
19
Prac5ce
scenarios
for
break-‐out
groups,
followed
by
group
discussion
20. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
If you have an interview request…
First,
find
out
as
many
details
as
you
can
about
the
interviewer
and
the
interview.
Do
not
agree
immediately
to
the
interview
if
you’re
not
authorized
to
speak
to
the
press,
or
unsure
if
you
should.
Before
agreeing,
you
must
seek
approval
from
your
organizaQon
(unless
you
are
already
authorized).
Ask
yourself:
do
you
have
a
media
or
communicaQons
officer
on
your
team?
• Yes?
Terrific!
Speak
with
him/her
immediately.
• No?
Get
prepared.
20
21. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
Yes! I have a media officer on my
team
Your
media
officer
will
help
you:
oDetermine
if
you
should
do
an
interview
oLearn
some
basic
media
skills
oCommunicate
your
organiza?on's
key
messages
oAvoid
crossing
red
lines
oUnderstand
the
journalist
and
media
organiza?on
you'll
be
speaking
with
oUnderstand
basic
"rules
of
play”
of
interviews
(on-‐the-‐
record/off-‐the-‐record,
etc)
21
22. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
You don’t have a media officer?
Do
you
want
to
do
this
interview?
Does
your
organizaQon
want
you
do
this
interview?
Can
you
do
this
interview
well?
Is
this
interview
worthwhile?
22
Will
you
get
too
nervous
in
the
studio?
23. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
If you do the interview…
Some
things
to
consider
before
the
interview:
• Familiarize
yourself
with
the
terms
of
the
interview
(on
or
off
the
record,
when
is
publicaQon,
etc)
• Develop
a
few
key
messages
• Look
up
the
right
words,
pracQce
pronunciaQon
• Know
your
red
lines
(what
won’t
you
say?)
• PracQce
your
key
messages
• Think
about
what
you'll
wear
and
your
body
language
(be
comfortable,
project
a
good
image)
23
24. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
During the interview
Don’t
feel
rushed
Be
passionate
Talk
to
your
nice
Aunt
Jane
• i.e.,
somebody
who
has
natural
human
empathy
and
is
smart,
but
is
not
an
expert
on
the
subject
Talk
about
PEOPLE!
24
A
Red
Cross
delegate
speaks
with
a
journalist,
Hai5,
2010
25. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
What can a media officer do for
me?
Informs
and
influences
to
create
posiQve
change
Creates
appropriate
preparatory
material
Excellent
understanding
of
situaQon
and
context
A
good
trainer
and
supporQve
coach
Knows
target
audiences
and
explains
them
to
you
Monitors
the
media
and
shares
analysis
Builds
capacity
of
local
staff;
strong
understanding
of
local
media
Supports
the
program
and
the
people
you’re
assis<ng!
25
26. March
2013 Influence for Good -- influenceforgood.org
The state of the media today
Journalism
rules
and
ethics
• Yes,
they
exist.
E.g.:
hGp://www.spj.org/
ethicscode.asp
Cut
budgets
-‐-‐>
diminished
coverage
Mindless
fill?:
the
24-‐hour
news
cycle
Sponsored
media
visits/media
imbeds
• Big
coverage,
quesQonable
ethics?
The
future:
mobile
devices,
the
Internet,
ciQzen
journalism
hGp://sm4good.com/2013/03/19/presentaQon-‐social-‐media-‐emergency-‐response-‐operaQons/
26