Exam 2 Study Guide PAD 4391 The Media Overarching Goal in Risk Communication o Be able to provide a clear concise message to the right audience at the right time o The best cure for fear is information Dr Julie Gerberding Director of CDC o Getting people to get it is particularly crucial in a health emergency or crisis The STARCC Principle The Public Information Officer PIO o Emergency management message in a crisis must be Simple Timely Accurate Relevant Credible and Consistent o The Public and a Disaster Event People respond to clear instructions in a disaster situation They want to be given guidance by government authorities The way the message is framed is also very important If you are asking people to evacuate a hazardous area for example providing visuals and maps showing impacted areas and evacuation routes is much more effective than telling everyone in the north side of town to head south o Collects verifies and disseminates emergency information to the public that can help them make protection recovery decisions o A PIO is a central contact planner pro active and crisis writer coordinator and agency community representative A central contact for information for an agency organization or jurisdiction Represent their agency to the media other organizations the response community and perhaps most importantly to the public Responsible for planning how to be most effective in disseminating information o As a PIO dealing with an emergency or disaster event you should be prepared to answer these questions from the public Are my family and I safe What can I do to protect my family and myself Who is in charge here What can I expect What should we do Skill Sets Needed by the PIO o Community Relations Media Relations Writing Skills Public Speaking Skills Audio Visual Presentation Skills Specific Emergency Management Knowledge Communication Skills planning operations managerial o Communication skill sets according to Dr Kristine Gebbie include the following Communicates effectively in writing orally and in other ways Solicits input from individuals and organizations Advocates for public health programs and resources Leads and participates in groups to address specific issues Uses the media advanced technologies and community networks to communicate information Effectively presents accurate demographic statistical programmatic and scientific information PIO Responsibilities o PIOs are responsible for providing public information to two primary groups The media and the public o Others that they may coordinate with include other individuals in your agency and external response agency partners PIO Duties Normal Operations o Types of Non Emergency Risk Information Duties Ed Campaigns Publications Websites Group Presentations Issues Forum Town Hall Meetings Daily Media Inquiry Disaster Readiness Awareness Weeks Event Planning News Conferences Media Outreach and Disaster Expos o This outreach makes the PIO s job in a disaster easier The public shouldn t see them for the first time when asking them PIO Duties in an Emergency to take disaster action o Collect verify and disseminate information o Understand and accommodate the needs of the media o Keep lines of communication open in your agency o Assume responsibilities in the EOC Command Post City Hall JIC etc o Highlight behind the scene players in follow up and in depth stories o Also includes the following job duties News releases news conferences talking points credentialing on site media inquiry ESF 14 coordination tours of impacted area tours of health facilities phone inquiries media pool coverage citizen hotline satellite up links satellite bookings JIC operations incident command Proactive vs Reactive o Think ahead o Be timely and accurate o Reach out to the media to establish good relationships o Anticipate expectations of public information o Know the community s hazards o Plan accordingly o Reactive unprepared insensitive unable to win trust hiding something Spokesperson o A spokesperson is an individual representing the organization who has Knowledge authority and community trust with the media and public o Tips as a subject matter expert Never comment off the record Place most important points at the beginning of each response Be concise think headlines Respond to simple questions with simple answers Do not answer hypothetical questions bridge back to reality Avoid negatives be positive Be prepared Respect deadlines How to Prepare the Spokesperson o Help him her develop key messages o Assist him her in building strong interview o Provide tips for differing media types o Provide suggestions on how to dress o Suggest that the spokesperson take control of interviews with some of these tips message Bridging transition from questions asked to key message Hooking force a follow up question that sets the stage for a key Flagging use verbal cues to underscore the importance of a forthcoming comment Emergency Support Function 14 ESF 14 o Public Information During a Disaster News Releases News Conferences Talking Points Credentialing On Site Media Inquiry Manage Info Flow Phone Inquiries Liaison to other Agencies Media Pool Coverage Citizen Hotline Satellite Up Links Satellite Bookings The Emergency Channel Tours of Impacted Area Overnight Radio Interviews o The main purpose of the ESF 14 is to disseminate information on all emergencies to the public through the news media o The bullets above describe normal duties of an ESF 14 staff person or PIO at the state level o DOH PIOs will assist the local Emergency Management ESF 14 and represent Public Health issues Joint Information System JIS o Joint Information Center JIC A JIC is a joint location for all disaster response agencies and their PIOs with a mutually agreed upon plan for information dissemination One stop shop o One location one message Coordination of PIO resources o Multiple levels of government Management of misinformation o JIS and JIC are a part of the National Incident Management System o JIS provides the public with timely and accurate incident information and unified public messages It is a group or system of PIOs disseminating information Communication Vehicles o Emergency Alert System o NOAA Weather Radio o Ham radio operators o Cable companies o Weather channel o Government access channels o PA systems on emergency vehicles o Internet E mail o Direct Satellite Uplinks o Local broadcasting stations o All of the above are ways you can get information to the public