Role of Mass Media Communication in Emergency - Literature review Example

Role of Mass Media Communication in Emergency Name Institution Affiliation Abstract The significance of mass media communication in emergencies has been a subject of most debates on disaster mitigation. Existing research has shown that mass media communication informs and educates the public on the nature of the emergency and the need for precautions aimed at preventing the occurrence of the disaster. This paper integrates existing literature in examining the role of mass media communication in emergencies. The role of mass media communication in the Azerbaijan earthquakes (2012) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) has been explored as case studies. The paper reveals that communication is important in the four stages of disaster cycle, which include prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery. The paper concludes that mass media communication is informative, insightful, and responsive. Key words: mass media communication; emergency; prevention; response; recovery; Azerbaijan earthquake; Hurricane Katrina Role of Mass Media Communication in Emergency 1. Introduction Emergencies disrupt the normal functioning of communities and may lead to loss of human lives and destruction of property. A study by Bradley et al. (2014) categorized the losses can be human, material, and environmental losses (p. 1). After an emergency, the affected community is usually vulnerable and unable to cope with the devastating consequences. Many studies have identified the various stages of the emergency cycle, which include mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery (Bradley et al., 2014; Moeller, 2006). Communication between these stages is crucial because it helps in developing response mechanisms to mitigate the effect of an emergency (Poudel et al., 2015, p. 32). Communication also helps in creating public awareness regarding the effect of the emergency and how the actions taken would impact on the outcome of the event. Thus, the centrality of mass media communication in creating awareness and fostering solidarity and cohesion cannot be gainsaid. This paper explores the role of mass media communication in an emergency. 2. Mass media communication One of the various ways of conveying information from the authorities to the members of the public is risk communication (Bradley et al., 2014, p. 1). This method of communication is effective because it is possible to evaluate the outcomes. For example, if communication that requires evacuation of people has been released, its effectiveness can be determined by the number of victims who experience either death or injuries (Bradley et al., 2014, p. 1). Communication can occur across several channels. These channels include telephone calls, police services, mass media, face-to-face and social media. Mass media encompasses the use of media technologies that are designed to reach a wide audience. Mass media is a powerful force that is useful in conveying information that targets a large group of people. Various forms of mass media include print and electronic media. 2.1. Print media This type of media conveys written information to the audience. It includes magazines and dailies which provide current information (Katerina, 2016, p. 1). Press refers to communication through newspapers. It also conveys current information to the public. This medium offers more detailed information which may include interviews and expert opinions. 2.2. Electronic media Electronic media include radios, televisions, and the internet. Radio is a common type of electronic media. It is used by millions of people in the United Kingdom and across the world. Consequently, it is reliable for communications that involve emergencies. Like the radio, television provides information electronically (Katerina, 2016, p. 1). However, it conveys visual images regarding the events that occur from time to time. The Internet is the fastest means of conveying information. It uses text, images, and visual to convey information. The popularity of this medium has been enhanced by the increase in the availability of the internet and the burgeoning population of the users of smartphones (Katerina, 2016, p. 1). In the case of emergency, television stations can communicate to the public through the internet. Virtually other communication media rely on the internet during emergency situations. The United Kingdom has one of the largest numbers of Internet users across the globe. Figure 1: Percentage of Internet users in the UK by age group Source: Hirst, Harrison, and Mazepa (2014) Clearly, over 70 percent of the people between 16 and 24 years use the internet in the United Kingdom. The number reduced steadily with the increase in age. In this regard, it is imperative that any communication being made regarding an emergency should take cognizance of the centrality of the internet in communication. In the same study, Hirst, Harrison, and Mazepa (2014) revealed that about 88 percent of adults in the United Kingdom had used the internet in the three months preceding the study (p. 35). The figure below encapsulates the findings of the study. Figure 2: Percentage of Internet users Source: Hirst, Harrison, and Mazepa (2014) In the United Kingdom, Category 1 responders play an important role in communication during emergencies. They create public awareness regarding the nature and intensity of the emergency. Such communication with the public is done in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Contingencies Act (Cabinet Office, 2012, p. 2). The justification for such communication is that when the people are informed, they are in the right position to respond to a crisis. Consequently, the emergency can be mitigated in time before it causes devastation to the victims. The Act encompasses public awareness on the risks before the emergency and the response mechanisms during the emergency. The Act prohibits category 1 responders from alarming the public unnecessarily. In this regard, any emergency is assessed and evaluated before a piece of communication can be issued to the public (Cabinet Office, 2012, p. 4). The Act requires responders to make necessary arrangements that can warn, inform, and advise people in the event of an emergency. 2.3. Information to the public Information aids in faster decision-making. A report prepared by Barrantes, Rodrlguez, and Perez (2009) underscored the essence of information during disaster management (p. 1). The authors observed that information helps in rapid and effective response to a disaster. In the event of an emergency, there is a need for timely and transparent production of information. This information yields a lot of trust and credibility in the process. It helps the government, international agencies, and non-profit organizations. 3. Role of mass media communication in emergency Mass media plays a central role in emergency management due to its power and influence (Ghassabi & Zare-Farashbanndi, 2015, p. 1). The role of media in managing crises in the society is becoming more important. The media can manage opinion of the public by offering accurate and varied news regarding the emergency. The media can cease to spread false reports because doing so can generate unnecessary anxiety and panic among the public. Mass media can be used to display the real problems facing the victims of a disaster. It can also offer support to law enforcement agencies to curb looting that may take place during the emergency (Hirst, Harrison, Mazepa, 2014, p. 21). The media requires and provides information in case of a crisis. Mass media carries out a social function which includes covering the situation to give the audience first-hand account of the nature of the event (Barrantes, Rodrlguez, Perez, 2009, p. 62). The mass media play the role of a critical partner because it conveys communication that can help in soliciting humanitarian assistance to the victims of the emergency. While performing this role, the media can inform public behaviour and enhance the quality of life during such times. Mass media communication encompasses shaping agendas and decisions that the government and non-governmental organizations make (Barrantes, Rodrlguez, Perez, 2009, p. 62). The media can make an emergency visible to international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to provide support in the form of health and food provision. Mass media can criticize an irresponsible response to emergencies (Baran & Barrosse, 2004, p. 12). In the case of irregularities and limited transparency and accountability in the process, the media can perform its critical role by highlighting these areas with the purpose of inviting increased surveillance. In light of the foregoing, it is clear that mass media’s role in emergency situations is significant. In this regard, there is a need for the media to have access to information regarding the emergency as well as its effect on the population (Barrantes, Rodrlguez, Perez, 2009, p. 63). The media can use this information to help in managing the population by easing tension and anxieties that may arise. It can also place emphasis on areas that require the most attention and participation of the public (Gallego et al., 2016, p. 25). It is imperative for disaster management organizations to build alliances with the media with the purpose of protecting public health. Mass media can offer civil support and influence efforts towards disaster mitigation. The role of mass media in emergency management can only be positive if the media organization communicates to the public through a well-executed and flexible plan (Moeller, 2006, p. 174). The process of creating and reporting the events as they unfold should be flexible and adaptive to the change. Usually, the four stages of the emergency cycle will require different strategies of reporting. In this regard, media communication should recognize the peculiarities of each emergency situation. 4. Case studies 4.1. Case study 1: Azerbaijan earthquake This earthquake took place in Azerbaijan province in eastern Iran in 2012. An analysis of the role of mass media in this crisis reveals that about 46 percent of people received information through national televisions (Ghassabi & Zare-Farashbandi, 2015, p. 1). The information then spread rapidly to social networks and satellite televisions. In the same study, 1.1 percent of correspondents reported that they had received the information through the radio while about 3 per cent had learned this information through foreign televisions and social media. The table below encapsulates the findings on the type of media that communicated information regarding the Azerbaijan earthquake. Table 1: Media Type Source: Ghassabi & Zare-Farashbandi, 2015 From this data, it is evident that national televisions in Iran provided the best platform for communicating the news regarding the earthquakes. On the other hand, the newspapers, social media, and foreign satellites were not effective in disseminating this information. The role of the media in communicating information on emergencies does not end on the first day of communication. Asgary and Ayvaziankari (2013) noted that in the case of this earthquake, many people were willing to follow the news until the condition normalized (p. 4). The chart below summarizes the findings. Figure 3: Percentage follow-up of information on emergency Source: Asgary and Ayvaziankari (2013) Clearly, the majority of people in Iran followed news regarding the earthquake for more than two weeks until conditions in the affected area normalized. The finding implies that mass media communication before, during, and after an emergency should be consistent to enhance public trust and confidence. 4.2. Case study 2: Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina occurred in 2005 along the coastal beaches of New Orleans, Louisiana. The hurricane left 1245 people dead and damaged property worth $108 billion (Tierney et al., 2006, p. 57). It led to massive flooding that covered about 80 percent of the city. The floods persisted for about two weeks in what became a tale of two cities divided by both race and press. Figure 4: A devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina Source: Tierney et al., (2006) According to Gray (2006), the media made several mistakes in handling the crisis, although it did well in bringing public attention to it. The author observed that the media was reluctant to focus the severity of the problem given that most victims were black people. The media failed to portray the plight of African Americans that were caught in the hurricane (Littlefield & Quenette, 2007, p. 28). This misrepresentation could have an effect on the disaster response and recovery mechanisms. Some of the media outlets referred to the victims as hoodlums, animals, and thugs (Gray, 2006). This portrayal buttressed the issues of race and altered the intended communication significantly. A similar observation was made in the work of Drury and Cocking (2008). The authors posited that the media’s portrayal of the victims of the hurricane as barbarians influenced the perceptions of responders who treated the victims. In reaction, the victims felt outraged and became violent towards the responders. While recounting the events, Gebreyes (2015) opined that the media refused to communicate about the flood victims who scrambled for safety. In this regard, the media framed a different narrative of the events that occurred in reality (Gebreyes, 2015, p. 1). These revelations demonstrate the power of mass media in influencing public opinion and controlling the flow of information. Conclusion Based on the findings of this study, it is indubitable that mass media plays an important role in emergency situations. Fundamentally, mass media performs four basic functions, which include coverage of the situation, partnership, shaping agendas, and criticising irresponsible disaster management mechanisms. The study has shown that the media should have access to information regarding disaster prevention, response, and recovery mechanisms to enable to communicate the need for further intervention. Access to information regarding emergencies should take place through the internet given that a high percentage of the population in the United Kingdom encompasses active internet users. Building on the case studies involving the earthquake in Azerbaijan and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the study buttresses the significance of mass media communication in disaster mitigation. References Asgary, A., & Ayvaziankari, D. (2013). Media Coverage of Post-disaster Recovery and Reconstruction: The Case of the 2012 East Azerbaijan Earthquake. Retrieved from http://www.grif.umontreal.ca/i-Rec2013/77-91_Asgary.pdf Baran, S. J., & Barrosse, E. (2004). Introduction to mass communication: Media literacy and culture. McGraw-Hill. Barrantes, S. A., Rodrlguez, M., & Perez, R. (2009). Information management and communication in emergencies and disasters: manual for disaster response teams. Pan American Health Organization. Bradley, D. T., McFarland, M., & Clarke, M. (2014). The effectiveness of disaster risk communication: a systematic review of intervention studies. PLoS currents, 6. Cabinet Office (2012). Communicating with the Public: Revision to Emergency Preparedness. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61030/Chapter-7-Communicating-with-the-Public_18042012.pdf Drury, J. & Cocking, C. (2008). Mass media communications and mass reactions to emergencies and disasters: A paper presented at the RUSI conference on the role of media in emergencies. London. University of Sussex Gallego, E., Cantone, M. C., Oughton, D. H., Perko, T., Prezelj, I., & Tomkiv, Y. (2016). Mass media communication of emergency issues and countermeasures in a nuclear accident: Fukushima reporting in European newspapers. Radiation protection dosimetry. Gebreyes, R. (2015, August 27). The appalling ways the media framed the narrative after Hurricane Katrina. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hurricane-katrina-media-new-orleans_us_55dc999fe4b0a40aa3ac448d Ghassabi, F., & Zare-Farashbandi, F. (2015). The role of media in crisis management: A case study of Azarbayejan earthquake. International Journal of Health System and Disaster Management, 3(2), 95. Gray, M. (2006, August 30). The Press, Race, and Katrina. Time. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1471224,00.html Hirst, M., Harrison, J., & Mazepa, P. (2014). Communication and new media: From broadcast to narrowcast. Oxford University Press. Katerina, V. (2016). The role of Media in times of crisis. Retrieved from http://www.posterus.sk/?p=18837&output=pdf Littlefield, R. S., & Quenette, A. M. (2007). Crisis leadership and Hurricane Katrina: The portrayal of authority by the media in natural disasters. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 35(1), 26-47. Moeller, S. D. (2006). " Regarding the Pain of Others": Media, Bias and the Coverage of International Disasters. Journal of International Affairs, 173-196. Poudel, B. R., Fitzgerald, G., Clark, M., Mehta, A., & Chhetri, M. B. P. (2015). Disaster Management in Nepal: Media engagement in the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Planet@ Risk, 3(2). Tierney, K., Bevc, C., & Kuligowski, E. (2006). Metaphors matter: Disaster myths, media frames, and their consequences in Hurricane Katrina. The annals of the American academy of political and social science, 604(1), 57-81. Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Read More