Reporting disaster: crisis communication training for journalists

Abstract

Along with emergency professionals, the media play a key role in providing important public information when a natural disaster strikes. Studies show that news media are often the main source of information during a disaster and broadcast media (radio in particular) have an impact by providing clear, consistent and timely messages to communities at risk. In these situations, journalists must communicate precise public safety information at speed and under pressure – often when the situation is uncertain, the science complex and both information and cooperative sources are thin on the ground.

Yet research shows that while the media do alert the public about immediate hazards in a natural disaster, reporting is often sensational, sometimes inaccurate, and too often fails to put hazards in perspective. In fact, news and risk communication are often at odds with one another and there is a scholarly critique that argues the mass media are simply unable to adequately explain the complexities of risk.

This paper reports on an interdisciplinary disaster reporting exercise that tests journalism and geohazard science students’ communication skills in a real-time major disaster scenario. The exercise aims to facilitate better understanding of information and uncertainty in disasters and better cooperation between emergency managers and news media to disseminate emergency public information.

For the last three years, Hazard Management and Journalism staff have collaborated on a mock disaster exercise in a cross-disciplinary assessment of their postgraduate 400/600 level students. The exercise aims to be a "teaching laboratory", allowing for innovative practices to achieve learning outcomes in science communication. Currently, we have two scenarios (a volcanic eruption of Mount Taranaki, threatening economic and lifeline infrastructure, and a far-field tsunami triggered by an Mw=9 earthquake off Peru that threatens the entire east coast of New Zealand) for which Hazard Management students assume the roles of emergency management personnel dealing with an unfolding natural hazard event and Journalism students assume the roles of national and regional media reporting the event as well as the safety information the public needs to get through.

Typically, journalists are trained as generalists and do not have a background in science or much familiarity with scientific methods, particularly scientific uncertainty. For this exercise, journalism students are assessed on their ability to report risk, science and public safety information quickly and accurately during an uncertain and complex event. They receive feedback on their understanding and communication of the science from Hazard Management staff, as well as feedback on their journalism from the Journalism staff.

For the last two years, we have gathered survey data from participants to evaluate the student experience and the impact of the interdisciplinary model, and it is clear that the joint exercise has become a valuable teaching and assessment tool for both groups of students. Overall, students report finding the exercise very challenging, but also very rewarding. Hazard Management students value the media training and the demystification of journalism and press conferences, as well as the opportunity to manage an authentic hazard crisis. Surveys of Journalism students before and after the exercise reveal a significant shift in students’ confidence and understanding of the key information that needs to be reported in a natural disaster, including a better understanding of how to filter dense scientific information and translate scientific jargon for a lay public. Journalism students now working in newsrooms report that the exercise provided crucial preparation for reporting on large breaking news events such as a major regional flood event in 2014.

The exercise has become a keystone in both the Hazard Management and Journalism programs and the teaching staff involved are at the forefront of efforts to foster greater collaboration between professional news media and scientists/hazard managers. The exercise is also becoming known at the national level, with GNS Science, New Zealand's leading provider of Earth, geoscience and isotope research and consultancy services, involved in peer reviewing the natural hazard scenarios, and employers consistently mentioning the exercise and its benefits when hiring graduates.