Informative Role

Informative Role

Media can play informative role in all the three situations:

• Pre-disaster

• At the time of disaster

• Post-disaster

In a pre-disaster scenario, understanding the community’s vulnerability to disasters is essential. During the monsoon season, information such as rainfall forecasts, river water levels, flow rates, and potential embankment breaches is highly valuable for those residing in high-risk areas. Media can play a significant role in emphasizing crucial mitigation measures that communities in disaster-prone zones should adopt.

During a disaster, providing accurate information should be a journalist’s primary objective, requiring collaboration between local authorities and the media. However, officials may sometimes be unwilling or unable to share details due to security concerns, sensitivity, or a lack of confirmation. In such situations, journalists should rely on credible sources, relief organizations, or impartial local communities to ensure

the dissemination of accurate information to the public and national and international agencies. At the same time, media reporting should remain balanced to prevent unnecessary panic and the spread of misinformation.

In the aftermath of a disaster, the media plays a crucial role in delivering accurate information regarding the ongoing effects of the disaster and the genuine needs of the affected population. This ensures that rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts are planned effectively. Additionally, the media serves as a watchdog, monitoring the activities of various agencies involved in rehabilitation programs to ensure transparency and accountability.

Guidelines and Principles on Disaster Reporting

The media plays a critical role in informing the public during disasters and in promoting risk reduction behaviour during peace time. However, tight deadlines and the 24- hour news cycle amplify the pressure and the hunger for ‘exclusive’ updates. Images of death, disaster and destruction are powerful. So while journalists, photo-journalists and increasingly citizen journalists are tasked with providing the public with quick and accurate information as it develops; the reality is that it is usually only the dramatic components of disasters that make the front pages.

Reporting has also generally been confined to during and just after a disaster event (response and early recovery). There is little, if any, coverage, of risk reduction aspects during non- disaster times.

Key Principles

Understanding Disasters and Media’s Role: Develop a solid understanding of disasters and the critical role that media plays across each stage of the disaster cycle.

Accuracy: Ensure accuracy in every aspect of the reporting process

Balance: Strike a balance on the types of voices, positive stories, areas or regions covered and the tone of reporting.

Consistency And Collaboration: Work collaboratively with other media, government officials and NGOs.

Dignity: Treat all affected communities with the utmost respect and compassion.

Environment And Development: Go beyond major disaster events alone to look at climate change, environment, development and disaster risk reduction issues.

Follow-Up: Do follow-up stories in the months and years following a calamity.

Safety: Always prioritise your safety and that of the affected communities