Comments on: How Do You Define ‘Media’ In A Crisis? http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/ Exploring the intersection of communications, marketing and social media Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:03:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Jonathan Bernstein http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/#comment-161 Jonathan Bernstein Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:52:13 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=93#comment-161 I wrote an article called the "I-Reporter: Born of the Web" LONG before CNN started encouraging people to submit their own videos under that bannder. It's all about the need to redefine what "media" means and can be found at: http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/docs/the_i-reporter--born_of_the_web.html or this TINY URL: http://tinyurl.com/2rvl2o I wrote an article called the “I-Reporter: Born of the Web” LONG before CNN started encouraging people to submit their own videos under that bannder. It’s all about the need to redefine what “media” means and can be found at:

http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/docs/the_i-reporter–born_of_the_web.html

or this TINY URL:

http://tinyurl.com/2rvl2o

]]> By: Paola Di Maio http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/#comment-160 Paola Di Maio Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:45:37 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=93#comment-160 (finishing the post) That's when the balance can tip. Until then, it's going to be much noise, and people will still believe 'because I read so in the paper' (ha ha ha) Can every citizen with a blog be a good journalist? I dont think so. Can every citizen with a blog contribute to good information? yes Paola Di Maio | Homepage | 01.28.08 - 12:46 pm | # (finishing the post)
That’s when the balance can tip. Until then, it’s going to be much noise, and people will still believe ‘because I read so in the paper’ (ha ha ha)
Can every citizen with a blog be a good journalist? I dont think so. Can every citizen with a blog contribute to good information? yes

Paola Di Maio | Homepage | 01.28.08 - 12:46 pm | #

]]> By: Paola Di Maio http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/#comment-159 Paola Di Maio Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:51:35 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=93#comment-159 (amended post) I ll take the chance to say something that I said before (mantra). The role of citizens media is not to go and get information at a press conference, like traditional media I think this would be contrary in principle to what citizens media is. Media get their information sitting down from someone who tells them their version of the story.(then they should go and verify it, sometimes they do and sometimes they dont due to a number of reasons, from production timetables to how smart the editor is). Citizens media collect the information directly from where it is generated. The people tell their stories, which often are different stories from what the media tells us. How come? Thats where many of us believe they can become highly complementary. A professional journalist, like a detective, checks out the facts, whether they are told at a press conference or by the people in the street. Puts the pieces together. Compares the versions. Takes into account ethics and sensitive issues. Is aware that he can damage a person, or an institution. Is careful Makes sure that readers see the different perspectives, and understand that what the reporter is writing, is simply what the reporter has found out. Much press however, as well as much citizens' media, sadly, is about stirring up emotions Grabbing traffic, spiking the number of visits, ' hit a million views', climb the popularity index. Both traditional media and citizens media can deliver great benefit in case of emergency By helping to gather information where is available, and distribute it where this information can be used to improve efficiency of the relief operation. And the public can be informed, and contribute accordingly (we need volunteers here, doctors there, milk and nappies, a crane etc) Operational communication channels get clogged, and the rescue services cannot cope with the scale of the disaster. That's where the media and the citizens can make a difference. Instead, we get half truths, lots of inventions, information that is plain wrong, the media will tell us tomorrow that yesterday the aid did not get there on time. Heck. Whay, what was the media doing about that? Just Providing good quality information during emergency is the most valuable contribution, irrespective of who provides it. The quality of information - accurate, verifyiable, complete, timely - is important. Coordination, filtering, updating, is critical. The convergence of citizens and traditional media can increase the quality of the information greatly, provided 'how to produce quality information' is clar to both, and that readers become critical and demand quality information from their providers. Today, much of the media does propaganda. Political, commercial, ideological, And that won't help, especially, damn it, during a crisis. So I do see a great role for citizens' media during emergency, especially when it can provide higher quality information than traditional media. (amended post)
I ll take the chance to say something that I said before (mantra). The role of citizens media is not to go and get information at a press conference, like traditional media I think this would be contrary in principle to what citizens media is. Media get their information sitting down from someone who tells them their version of the story.(then they should go and verify it, sometimes they do and sometimes they dont due to a number of reasons, from production timetables to how smart the editor is). Citizens media collect the information directly from where it is generated. The people tell their stories, which often are different stories from what the media tells us. How come? Thats where many of us believe they can become highly complementary. A professional journalist, like a detective, checks out the facts, whether they are told at a press conference or by the people in the street. Puts the pieces together. Compares the versions. Takes into account ethics and sensitive issues. Is aware that he can damage a person, or an institution. Is careful
Makes sure that readers see the different perspectives, and understand that what the reporter is writing, is simply what the reporter has found out.

Much press however, as well as much citizens’ media, sadly, is about stirring up emotions Grabbing traffic, spiking the number of visits, ‘ hit a million views’, climb the popularity index. Both traditional media and citizens media can deliver great benefit in case of emergency
By helping to gather information where is available, and distribute it where this information can be used to
improve efficiency of the relief operation. And the public can be informed, and contribute accordingly (we need volunteers here, doctors there, milk and nappies, a crane etc) Operational communication channels get clogged, and the rescue services cannot cope with the scale of the disaster. That’s where the media and the citizens can make a difference.
Instead, we get half truths, lots of inventions, information that is plain wrong, the media will tell us tomorrow that yesterday the aid did not get there on time. Heck. Whay, what was the media doing about that? Just Providing good quality information during emergency is the most valuable contribution, irrespective of who provides it.
The quality of information - accurate, verifyiable, complete, timely - is important. Coordination, filtering, updating, is critical.
The convergence of citizens and traditional media can increase the quality of the information greatly,
provided ‘how to produce quality information’ is clar to both, and that readers become critical and demand quality information from their providers. Today, much of the media does propaganda. Political, commercial, ideological, And that won’t help, especially, damn it, during a crisis. So I do see a great role for citizens’ media during emergency, especially when it can provide higher quality information than traditional media.

]]> By: Peter West http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/#comment-158 Peter West Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:01:57 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=93#comment-158 It comes down to what is the function of media relations in emergency agencies. (In another life I was a media relations officer (civilian) with a provincial police force.) During an emergency, it's the role of the agency to first announce (via mainstream media) that something has happened and we're responding. This can be done in the first moments following an incident of any size and nature. Second function is to reduce panic and lessen any potentially dangerous public response by issuing as much information as possible. Only after the dust settles somewhat will there be time (and energy) to open more lines of communication. It comes down to what is the function of media relations in emergency agencies. (In another life I was a media relations officer (civilian) with a provincial police force.) During an emergency, it’s the role of the agency to first announce (via mainstream media) that something has happened and we’re responding. This can be done in the first moments following an incident of any size and nature. Second function is to reduce panic and lessen any potentially dangerous public response by issuing as much information as possible. Only after the dust settles somewhat will there be time (and energy) to open more lines of communication.

]]> By: amypalko http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/#comment-157 amypalko Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:29:33 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=93#comment-157 To my mind, the new media is here now and not to engage with it at any level is akin to the ostrich technique of evasion. By ignoring it, it will not simply disappear. Just thinking off the top of my head here, how about emergency regional wikis? That way traditional journalists and guardians of the press could work in tandem with citizen journalists and bloggers in order to make sure that the subjective does not override the objective, and that a wide ranging overview of the situation on the ground can be achieved. Regional wikis could be set up nationwide and they would then be collated in a national wiki. Do you know if anyone is doing this already, or do you think this is complete pie in the sky? To my mind, the new media is here now and not to engage with it at any level is akin to the ostrich technique of evasion. By ignoring it, it will not simply disappear. Just thinking off the top of my head here, how about emergency regional wikis? That way traditional journalists and guardians of the press could work in tandem with citizen journalists and bloggers in order to make sure that the subjective does not override the objective, and that a wide ranging overview of the situation on the ground can be achieved. Regional wikis could be set up nationwide and they would then be collated in a national wiki. Do you know if anyone is doing this already, or do you think this is complete pie in the sky?

]]> By: Bob LeDrew http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/#comment-156 Bob LeDrew Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:23:22 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=93#comment-156 I think there are big opportunities for organizations to use new media in conjunction with old media as new ways of getting out their messages. I heard about a guy last year (maybe it was on For Immediate Release) with a state Red Cross. He had started recording updates during disaster situations on an hourly basis and uploading them to a web site. He was then directing radio stations to them for their sound bites and quotes, rather than doing 22 separate interviews with local radio. Sounded like a brilliant idea to me. I think there are big opportunities for organizations to use new media in conjunction with old media as new ways of getting out their messages.

I heard about a guy last year (maybe it was on For Immediate Release) with a state Red Cross. He had started recording updates during disaster situations on an hourly basis and uploading them to a web site. He was then directing radio stations to them for their sound bites and quotes, rather than doing 22 separate interviews with local radio.

Sounded like a brilliant idea to me.

]]> By: Dennis McDonald http://davefleet.com/2008/01/how-do-you-define-in-crisis/#comment-155 Dennis McDonald Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:03:30 +0000 http://davefleet.com/?p=93#comment-155 Everyone is wrestling with how to engage with nontraditional media during a crisis. A lot of the uncertainty comes from an unrealistic desire to control communications. Those days are gone. Just monitoring nontraditional media (a good thing) is not enough. Authorities have to deal with the simple fact that an increasing number of people are using their own communications channels to not only exchange information but to influence events. As much as some dislike it, authorities need to become "part of the conversation" via all channels when disaster strikes. That means having a plan ready to put in place not just for monitoring but for distributing information and interacting with people via all channels, both traditional and nontraditional. More thoughts along these lines are here: http://www.ddmcd.com/school.html Everyone is wrestling with how to engage with nontraditional media during a crisis. A lot of the uncertainty comes from an unrealistic desire to control communications.

Those days are gone. Just monitoring nontraditional media (a good thing) is not enough. Authorities have to deal with the simple fact that an increasing number of people are using their own communications channels to not only exchange information but to influence events.

As much as some dislike it, authorities need to become “part of the conversation” via all channels when disaster strikes. That means having a plan ready to put in place not just for monitoring but for distributing information and interacting with people via all channels, both traditional and nontraditional.

More thoughts along these lines are here:

http://www.ddmcd.com/school.html

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