"This study provides insights that can inform disaster communication management, policymaking, and theory building through a nationally representative field experiment (N = 2,015 U.S. adults) grounded in media richness theory, information and communication technologies (ICTs) succession theory, and
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the social-mediated crisis communication (SMCC) model. Key findings include the following: (1) Significant main effects of disaster information source were detected on how likely participants were to seek further disaster information from TV, local government websites, and federal government websites; (2) regardless of information form and source, participants reported strongest intentions to immediately communicate about the disaster predominately via offline interpersonal forms rather than through online organizational and personal forms; and (3) regardless of information source, participants reported strong intentions to evacuate if instructed to do so by the government. These findings call for developing crisis communication theory that is more focused on how publics communicate with each other rather than with organizations about disasters and predict a wider variety of crisis communication outcomes." (Abstract)
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"In July 2015, Internews launched Open Mic Nepal, a project designed to track and debunk rumors in the earthquake-afected communities. Based on previous pilots of this approach in Gaza and Liberia, the project set out to assess and address information needs by using minimally structured qualitative
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data-gathering approaches to surface trends in community conversations, identify key concerns, misunderstandings and toxic/corrupted information, and to redress them with the provision of reliable and verified information as speedily as possible." (Page 2)
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"Social media is an invaluable source of time-critical information during a crisis. However, emergency response and humanitarian relief organizations that would like to use this information struggle with an avalanche of social media messages that exceeds human capacity to process. Emergency managers
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, decision makers, and affected communities can make sense of social media through a combination of machine computation and human compassion - expressed by thousands of digital volunteers who publish, process, and summarize potentially life-saving information. This book brings together computational methods from many disciplines: natural language processing, semantic technologies, data mining, machine learning, network analysis, human-computer interaction, and information visualization, focusing on methods that are commonly used for processing social media messages under time-critical constraints, and offering more than 500 references to in-depth information." (Publisher description)
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"This practice briefing sets out what BBC Media Action learned in delivering and supporting health communication in response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014–15. It has a particular focus on Sierra Leone as this was the hub of the organisation’s response. The paper aims to contribute t
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o a body of knowledge about how to best harness and deploy media and communication in public health emergencies. It also underscores the need for the global community to plan and invest in communication long before any crises take hold, to ensure that communication plays a central role in reducing the impact of future crisis events. The paper sets out the specific communication challenge posed by Ebola and why it was so difficult to get to grips with this in the early months of the outbreak. It then documents when the health communication response became more useful and explores what that tells us about effective media and communication. Finally, it offers recommendations to ensure that media and communication are used to their full potential during other disease outbreaks or humanitarian crises." (BBC Media Action website)
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"Most analysis of media coverage of disaster has a normative edge. This paper outlines a philosophical basis for establishing normative standards for news coverage of natural hazards and human-based risk. It begins with a top-down, or system-oriented, epistemological approach to disasters and risk.
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By employing this epistemology, a new professional standard of excellence, the journalist as mitigation watchdog, emerges. Focusing on mitigation promotes narratives that acknowledge the shadow of the future and report on human emergent cooperative behavior. Both are linked to human flourishing through Nussbaum's theory of capabilities. The goal is to provide a framework that specifies how professional performance might be improved and explains why some news reports are exemplary and others deserve professional censure." (Abstract)
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"These guides are for media professionals working to help audiences affected by humanitarian crises. They give a brief overview of common humanitarian issues in emergencies. They will help you: understand what kinds of problems your audiences are likely to be facing in emergencies; work alongside re
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lief experts to provide audiences with accurate, relevant and life-saving information." (Introduction)
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"Internews has launched a three-part learning module on Boda Boda Talk Talk, the hyperlocal humanitarian information service currently operational in four United Nations Protection of Civilians Sites (PoCs) across the country. Part I of the module focuses on the theory and rationale behind a communi
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ty-led audio program produced to radio broadcast standards, describing how the political and humanitarian context in South Sudan—and unique local information ecosystem within the UN PoC sites—influenced BBTT’s design. Part II is a case study that describes how BBTT was designed and rolled out in Tong Ping (Juba) and Malakal/Wau Shilluk, including sections on challenges, adaptive programming, and recommendations for similar projects." (Internews website)
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"This guide outlines the step-by-step processes and potential challenges that may arise in setting up a Boda Boda Talk Talk (BBTT) project. In it, you will find information and advice on everything from what equipment to purchase, to how to build relationships with other humanitarian actors, to recr
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uiting staff and establishing listening groups. Given its straightforward setup, readily available equipment and relatively low cost, the BBTT model can be easily replicated and adapted to other humanitarian emergency contexts." (Page 7)
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"Smartphones and digital connectivity are essential for refugees seeking protection and safety in Europe, but they also carry risks for them. This research identified a huge gap in the provision of relevant, reliable and timely digital news and information for refugees on their journeys and upon arr
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ival in Europe. There is a growing number of digital resources designed for refugees. Most are inadequately resourced and unsustainable. They can do more harm than good if they disseminate misinformation. Quick ‘tech fixes’ do not work. Governments and newsrooms in Europe are failing to provide what refugees need, because they fear that they may be seen to be facilitating attempts to seek asylum in Europe. This is forcing refugees to rely on alternative, often unverified and unreliable sources of news and information circulated on social media, particularly by smugglers and handlers. This is endangering them and exacerbating an already dire situation." (Summary of findings, page 5)
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"The Polio Communication Global Guide is a how-to manual for planning and building effective mass media and interpersonal communication strategies with the ultimate goal of eradicating polio. This document outlines UNICEF’s global approach to polio communication informed by data and on-the-ground
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experience with a focus on reaching the hardest-to-reach populations in the final polio reservoirs of the world. It provides a comprehensive strategic framework and identifies the key steps of planning and executing an effective and adaptive polio communication response from mass media all the way down to interpersonal communication [...] Previous polio communication strategies often utilised risk communication and targeted individual caregivers with facts about polio and polio vaccination. The new polio strategy is specifically designed to address the dynamic perceptions and social norms that deter caregivers in the remaining 1% of the world from vaccinating their children. Our shift to social norm communication is grounded in recent polling research on populations affected by polio in endemic and outbreak contexts, and their responses to polio eradication efforts. Primarily, this research shows the prevalence of unsupportive social norms in high-risk areas." (Introduction)
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"By “ICT” we refer to digital devices and systems which are accessible to everyone, be it refugees, civil society groups, humanitarian or development cooperation actors such as private companies. We talk about projects using personal computers, smartphones and tablets which can access the Intern
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et [...] We will begin by characterising civic tech actors, who are playing a particularly interesting role in the landscape of ICT for refugees. Secondly, we will discuss the use of technology by refugees, which will serve as important framing for subsequent analysis of projects. Thirdly, we will explain further our methodology. We then, fourthly, present a report of our field research in Greece, Jordan and Turkey, outlining key findings and setting them in context. Fifthly we proceed to an overview of key areas of activity and potential, drawing on case studies from our field research. Finally we discuss cooperation and exchange between different kinds of actors, some challenges and risks common to ICT for refugee projects, finishing with recommendations for practitioners and policymakers."
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"The guide is not about how to use media for public relations or fund-raising purposes; it focuses on working with media to share useful and actionable information with communities affected by crisis. Humanitarians call this kind of communication different things: “community engagement”, “comm
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unication with communities”, “beneficiary communication” or “humanitarian communication”. They all mean the same thing: harnessing the power of communication to save lives. The focus is on local and national media because, if you want to reach local communities you need to go through local channels, which can provide specific, localised information and are in close proximity to their audiences." (Introduction)
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"The purpose of Lifeline programming is to make content for people affected by humanitarian crises in order to help save lives and reduce suffering [...] Lifeline programming requires a different approach from conventional newsgathering and reporting. It involves sharing practical, actionable inform
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ation that audiences can use to improve their situation, and also providing encouragement and reassurance. It’s about reporting for those affected rather than about them. Topics may include issues around safety, food, water, shelter, health, hygiene, trauma and more." (Page 4)
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"This handbook focuses on practical principles and best practices of risk communication to support risk management of adverse food safety (including quality) events associated with biological, chemical or physical hazards. Food defence and nutritional aspects are outside the scope. Another focus of
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this handbook is on the use of risk communication in the process of risk analysis to manage both food safety emergencies (e.g. outbreaks of food-borne illness) and non-emergency or more enduring food safety issues (e.g. food safety and health promotion campaigns). Although the main focus of the handbook is on food safety, many aspects are applicable to effective risk communication in support of feed safety, animal health and zoonotic disease management. Publicly available knowledge on risk communication, existing guides and training materials and ongoing initiatives were carefully reviewed to inform the scope and format of this handbook. The aim was to develop a handbook that is useful for a wide range of countries and regions, with the main focus on the needs of low- and middle-income countries." (Page 3)
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"This report examines the uses of digital media among non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with migrants and refugees primarily in Europe. Based on interviews with leaders at over 20 NGOs, this report documents how organizations are thinking about digital and media literacies for combating
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xenophobia. NGOs are strategically leveraging various storytelling techniques to build effective communication campaigns that identify and respond to discriminatory messages and racist sentiments prevalent in public discourse. This report highlights seven key strategies for digital storytelling that is current practice as well as a five-part framework of emergent practice. The report concludes with a series of recommendations for the management of digital media programs and projects." (Abstract)
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"This Managing Social Media During Emergencies Guide is designed to assist Councils to better plan, manage and continue to improve the effectiveness of social media use during an emergency event." (Intorduction, page 4)
"The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has developed this paper to support Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers in their communication and advocacy on community resilience. The paper explains the IFRC’s definition of and approach to building communi
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ty resilience, sets out key messages, and suggests how to communicate the rationale for promoting community resilience to a broad audience. The document draws on the IFRC’s Framework for Community Resilience and the strategy behind the One Billion Coalition for Resilience. The messages and evidence in this paper should inform discussions, plans and decision-making in national disaster risk reduction or disaster management platforms, policy forums, community consultations, and project design." (Page 4)
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