As in last unit’s assignment, let’s assume you are the emergency preparedness coordinator for your community. You are responsible for the joint information system and public information dissemination.
You have been invited to participate in a conference arranged by your state emergency management agency and FEMA to discuss best practices in integrating traditional media outlets, as well as social media, in disaster response and recovery efforts.
The conference organizers have asked you to submit your working notes in advance of the conference outlining needs, observations, or action items that the group can later discuss in efforts further improve the joint information system.
In this journal submission, you must outline media roles in disaster response and recovery and propose best practices for effective public information dissemination. At a minimum, you should address the following:
Explain the relationship between government and traditional mainstream media and their roles in disaster communication.
Explain why effective collaboration and coordination between the government sector and the media is critical in in disaster response and recovery. Recommend specific best practices in this area using lessons learned from previous real-life disasters (may be from your community or elsewhere).
How can information be disseminated to the public during disasters where there is limited or no access to media outlets (i.e., rural or cut off areas, power, or cell outages). How can public information officers deal with misinformation or disinformation created and propelled by social media?
How can volunteers (organizations or individuals) assist with effective community communications during a disaster?
Recommend ways to utilize traditional and social media outlets to assist with increasing and managing donations and volunteer resources.
Your journal entry must be at least two, but no more than three pages in length. You must support your journal using at least two reputable resources other than the course eTextbook. These may be your community’s emergency operations plan, resources from the CSU Online Library or government agencies, or other resources that are reputable and of scholarly value. Wikis, blogs, and other opinion-based sources may not be used.
