ROLE OF MEDIA DURING DISASTERS, A STUDY ABOUT CYCLONE PHAILIN
- Vidyut Prakash Maurya
Media both print and electronic can play a vital role in public awareness and preparedness through educating the public about disasters. It works like warning of hazards; gathering and transmitting information about affected areas. The role of media in informing the people and the authorities during emergencies becomes critical.
NEED IN EMERGENCY
During any emergency, people seek up-to-date, reliable and detailed information. During an emergency, the media should be sensitive to the needs of the public in affected areas and should avoid misinforming and broadcasting unconfirmed reports.
It is important to alerting government officials, helping relief organizations and the public towards specific needs; and even in facilitating discussions about disaster preparedness and response.
IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT
The main principle of information provision, therefore, should be an ethical one. Therefore, correct and reliable information
through the media is an important instrument for balancing the possible effects. Reliable and timely information provided through the media can help people overcome any kind of fear and fatalism during and after an emergency. The availability of reliable
and timely information and knowledge about an event and the resulting needs help to improve solidarity and also creates an atmosphere conducive to collective response for sharing the humanitarian challenges created by disasters.
POWERFUL MODE
Media is one of the most powerful mode of Communication. India has a very active print and electronic media. People also uses social media on their mobile phones and laptops. The total number of news paper and periodicals in 2001 was 52980. Radio today has a network more than 208 stations covering more than 90 % of the area and almost reaching population of 100 crores.
Now 24 hours news channel is a reality. Besides public broadcaster Doordarshan there are number of channels broadcasting news round the clock. Satellite communication has made possible to receive international network through receivers.
Another very fast medium of communication is the Internet. Today the Internet is being actively used to disseminate news and views on issues of public interests. Internet provides the cheapest way to link people anywhere on the planet. Nigeria's Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is using social media in facilitating swift responses to disasters and other emergency situations.
The World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction and the Roundtable on the Media, Scientific Information and Disasters addressed the vital roles of communications among and between scientists, engineers, government officials, disaster response officials, and particularly the media and the public in disaster mitigation.
SOME EXAMPLES
There are many examples where public education and the rapid, widespread dissemination of early warnings saved thousands of lives
1. A 1977 cyclone in Andra Pradesh, India, which killed 10,000 people, and a similar storm in the same area 13 years later, which killed 910. This time early warning measures save lives and money.
2. In November 1970 a tropical cyclone, combined with a high tide, struck southeastern Bangladesh, leaving more than 3 lakh people dead and 1.3 million homeless. In May 1985, a comparable cyclone and storm surge hit the same area. "This time, there was better local dissemination of disaster warnings and the people were better prepared to respond to them. The loss of life, although still high, was 10,000 or about 3 percent of that in 1970."
3. A cyclone struck the same area of Bangladesh in May 1994, fewer than 1,000 people died. The dramatic difference, according to Saidur Rahman, Director of the Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre, was a new early-warning system that allows radio stations to alert people in low-lying areas, "wonderful work was done by the media."
4. Hurricane Gilbert, which hit Jamaica in September 1988. The storm had been tracked, however, by the Regional Hurricane Center in Miami and by national meteorological services in the area. They predicted Gilbert's path and issued timely warnings to relief officials and the public. According to the World Meteorological Organization, was a much lower death toll than when a similar hurricane struck in 1951.
VITAL ROLE IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC
Many other examples make clear that media throughout the world play a vital role in educating the public about disasters; warning of hazards; gathering and transmitting information about affected areas; alerting government officials, relief organizations, and the public to specific needs; and facilitating discussions about disaster preparedness and response.
For the media to fill these roles most effectively, the scientific and disaster mitigation organizations need to establish and strengthen working relationships with the media.
Effective messages, both through the mass media and in other alternative forms of communication can empower people to take practical steps to protect themselves from natural hazards.
INDIA CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
Owing to its unique geo- climatic conditions, India’s has high vulnerabilities posed by national disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides. According to a Ministry of Home Affairs report, about 60 % of the landmass in India is prone to earthquakes, 12 % is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones.
HOW IT WORKS
Sending Alerts
News reports in news papers and television news bulletins can aware people about upcoming disaster. Media informs and alerts people about bad conditions in certain areas. So people can make life saving efforts.
Tweets about up-to-date situational and location-based information related to the flood such as water levels, traffic conditions and road conditions in certain areas.
Support Announcements
Tweets about free parking availability, free emergency survival kits distribution and free consulting services for home repair, etc.
Assistance Requests
Tweets requesting rescue and any types of aid; such as food, water, medical supplies, volunteers or transportation.
Requests for Information
Tweets including general inquiries related to the flood and flood relief such as inquiries for telephone numbers of relevant authorities, regarding the current situation in specific locations and about flood damage compensation.
Mobile Apps Can Save life
Apps are open sourced solutions are being tailor made for disaster management solutions. On the fully interactive Google map, geographical information related to the flooding submitted by official sources and users is aggregated in location pinpoints.
The American Red Cross also offered a Hurricane App for both iPhone and Android device users to assist in individual recovery.
In jun 2013 during the Uttarakhand floods, Google launched a ‘Person finder’, a portal, where people could type the name of the missing person and through its immense database, Google did the matching and threw up co-relating results.
CYCLONE PHAILIN IN ODISHA
Cyclone Phailin meekly kissed the earth and vanished Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on 12 October 2013. Bad news suddenly found itself in the unusual position. Durga Puja 2013 had a better than expected ending on the east coast. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) says 1.2 crore people will be affected by the cyclone.
Cylone Phailin had lost much of her steam en route from Thailand. A promised speed of 350 km per hour had reduced to 200 kmph as she swirled over the Bay of Bengal for over a week. India was better prepared.
Odisha, a Indian coastal state which faced the destruction and devastation of 1999's super-cyclone, says it is not ready to take any chances this time around.
Odisha's Disaster Management Minister Surya Narayan Patra told NDTV, "We are fighting against nature. We are better prepared this time, we learnt a lot from 1999." Nearly 15,000 people died in the super-cyclone that ravaged Odisha in 1999.
Prashant Dar, commandant, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Says “The whole world was watching. We managed to save so many lives because all of us worked together.”
‘It was the largest number of people to have been evacuated in Indian history, that too within 36-40 hours.’ Says P.K. Mohapatra, Special Relief Commissioner, Orissa
‘This is one of the largest evacuations undertaken in India,’ said Shashidhar Reddy, vice-chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, the Guardian reported.
OBJECTIVE REPORTING BY MEDIA
Complimenting the media for their efforts, Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department L. S.Rathore said: "There seems to be a zero loss of life as was targeted to combat this Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. I would like to place on record great sense of participation and objective reporting by both electronic and print media of this country. It has really helped greatly for wider and accurate information dissemination to all stakeholders, including public at large." Rathore also briefed the media on the forecast over the next 48 hours for the affected regions, and confirmed that the worst in terms of wind is over.
MEDIA PARTNERSHIP IN FIGHTING PHAILIN
Chief Secretary of Odisha Sri Jugal Kishore Mohapatra giving due credence to dissemination of cyclone messages by media in saving the life and property of a million people, it once again becomes pertinent to say that media partnership is the effective instrument of reaching out people for management of natural disasters and emergencies.
Chief Secretary Sri Mohapatra gave this credence to media while outlining the factors that helped in process of management of the disaster in a high level review meeting taken by Union Home Secretary Sri Anil Goswami in Secretariat conference hall recently. Sri Mohapatra said, the accuracy and reliability of cyclone forecasting by IMD along with appropriate dissemination of message by the media about alert, rescue and relief operations, among other factors contributed towards fighting out the fury of cyclone and minimizing the loss of human as well as cattle life.
It may be of worth mention here that the timely and proactive actions of Government machinery in this task has got wide appreciations at international and national levels.
The print, electronics and web media have also duly publicized these benevolent donations along with the applauds from different quarters for Governmental interventions.
The United Nation’s Special Representative Margareta Wahlstrom said, “ Odisha’s handling of the very sever cyclone will be a land mark success story in disaster Management.
ROLE OF PRINT MEDIA
The Telegraph in its editorial entitled “Splendid Job” on 17th October, 2013 mentioned that “Naveen Pattaniak Govt’s success in tackling the cyclone challenges is yet another evidence of Mr. Pattaniak’s approach
to governance . Leaders of such proven abilities are not common in India. They might be just the kind of politicians that India will
desperately need at the national level after the general elections next year.”
The Political and Business Daily in its editorial entitled “Naveen promises and Delivers “ on 20th October, 2013 remarked “ the stupendous task undertaken by Naveen’s government and officials is just mind boggling. The sheer enormity of the task of moving nearly a million people from their homes situated in scattered villages along the coast line to safer places can only be realized if we try to evacuate a single case of persuading an individual to leave behind his home and hearth and run for safety with their young children, old ailing parents, live stock, that too in inclement weather. One can imagine the collective resistance and the surging discontentment of the officials involved in the task would have faced”
The Editor of Odia daily The Sambad, Sri Soumya Ranjan Patnaik in his views entitled “ Yes We Can” on 16th October,2013 clearly stared that there should be no hesitation in praising the Govt machinery and officials involved in task of alerting, evacuating and rescuing the people.
The Odia daily The Pragativadi in one of its well placed news on 21st October entitled “How Govt Fought Out Phailin” mentioned that Govt. own over the severe cyclonic storm Phailin and minimized the loss. The success of Odisha in countering the cyclone of 2013 has created examples at national and international level. Quoting Chief Secretray Sri Mohapatra, the news also pointed out the causes of governmental success in no ambiguous terms.
The Odia daily The Samaj in its bold lettered news on 16th October, stated ‘it is worth mention that Govt of Odisha had alerted people long before the cyclone and had taken proactive steps for taking them to
safe places. Govt has set the record in history of natural disaster management in India by evacuating 9 lakh people.
The same news also reported about the opinion of non-resident Indian industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul, Spiritual leader Sri Rabi Sankar and
some national as well as international bodies praising the efforts of Govt.’
The Odia daily, The Sambad Kalika in its news on 21st
October reported that district administration of Nayargah has been successful in managing the cyclone. The English dailies like
The New Indian Express, Times of India and The Economic Times
ROLE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Along with other print, web and electronics media including
AIR and Doordarshan equally publicized the governmental messages for people before, during and after the cyclone. News channels like NDTV, Zee News, AAJTAK and ETV given live coverage of cyclone. Some of reporters spent more than three days with cyclone and informed live reports. We remember live reports of Manish Kumar and Hridyesh Joshi of NDTV. They also reflected the views and opinions expressed by different outside agencies in highlighting the governmental efforts.
The Information and Public Relation Department of the Government rose up to the occasion and served the people through accurate dissemination of messages to the people though different media and public announcements at filed level. More than 60 press releases along with handout and advertisement messages were issued by Information Officers serving at secretariat and directorate levels. Apart from that district level officers also made a number of releases at local levels.
EFFORTS FOR COORDINATIONS
It was great story of efforts and coordination. The entire exercise has proved that print, electronics, cyber and folk media can be an effective partner in successful management of disasters and emergencies. Before a disaster strikes, lays the groundwork for effective working relationships made it happen in Odisha.
Sensitivity, and trust worked here. Bright contact facilitates contributed to the quality and focus of media coverage relating to disasters. And last words It is a great story for our future example about fighting disaster.
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REFERENCES
1. Government of Odisha, EMORANDUM, On the Very Severe Cyclone PHAILIN AND THE SUBSEQUENT FLOOD 12 ‐15 October 2013
2. www.annenberg.northwestern.edu/
3. www.orkash.com
4. http://nidm.gov.in/
5. www.humanipo.com
6. www.odisha.gov.in/
7. Live mint, Daily, 15 oct 2013
8. Hindustan Times, Daily 15 oct 2013
9. http://www.aninews.in/
10 . outlook magazine 28 oct 2013
11. The Guardian, 15 oct 2013
12. Prof. G.P.Sinha Centre for Disaster Management and Rural Development http://gpscdmrd.org/
About Writer
Vidyut Prakash Maurya, A journalist and Media teacher.
DOB – 17 Dec 1973
BA ( Hons. ) BHU, MA (Hist) BHU
PG DIPLOMA in Journalism from IIMC, Delhi, Master in Mass communication from GJU, Hisar
UGC NET in Mass communication.
17 years in Print , TV Media, Teaching and Research. Presently working as Chief Sub Editor in HT Media Group, New Delhi.
Email – vidyutp@gmail.com
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