Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wzw2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-02T12:48:18.042Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dialogue is Destiny: Managing the Message in Humanitarian Action

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Ano Lobb  and
Nancy Mock
Ano Lobb*
Affiliation:
Center for the Evaluative Clinical Science, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
Nancy Mock
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Department of International Health and Development, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Executive Director, Recovery Action Learning Laboratory, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
*
Ano Lobb, MPH 80 Lepage Rd. Barre, Vermont 05641, USA E-mail: ano.lobb@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

During humanitarian response efforts, the mass media serves as the primary informational intermediary informing donors, policy makers, and the nonaffected public. A lack of professional standards within the current culture of journalism, the politics of media ownership, and media manipulation by governments has distorted reporting on humanitarian crises, with possible detrimental effects on response efforts. Humanitarian response organizations must assume a proactive, leading role in the management and sharing of information with each other as well as with donors, policy makers, and the public. This will require working with the media as partners, as well as exploring innovative methods of mass communication. A multi-stakeholder, cooperative communication initiative could help improve media involvement, and harness the media as a credible and knowledgeable communication tool for response efforts. A professional publication dedicated to the discipline of humanitarian relief also could optimize efforts, communicate the perspectives of beneficiaries, and manage the underutilized resource of the general public.

Keywords

communicationdisaster communicationshumanitarian actionmass media
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , October 2007 , pp. 423 - 428
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Holm, HH: Failing Failed States:Who Forgets the Forgotten? In: Forgotten Humanitarian Crises: Conference on the Role of the Media, Decision-Makers, and Humanitarian Agencies. Copenhagen 2002: pp 21–29.Google Scholar
2.Mortensen, G: Corruption in emergencies:What role for media? Report from U4 Working Meeting, May 30, 2006. Available at http://www.u4.no/document/ u4-issue/u4_issue5_2006_emergencies_media.pdf. Accessed 07 May 2007.Google Scholar
3.CARMA Global Media Analysts: The CARMA report on western media coverage of humanitarian disasters. CARMA International, 2006. Available at http://www.carma.com/research/CARMA%20Media%20Analysis%20-%20Western%20Media%20Coverage%20of%20Humanitarian%20Disasters.pdf. Accessed 06 March 2007.Google Scholar
4.Moeller, S: Regarding the pain of others: Media, bias, and the coverage of international disasters. J Int Aff 2006;59(2):173–196.Google Scholar
5.Kumar, D: Media, war, and propaganda: Strategies of information management during the 2003 Iraq war. Communications and Critical Cultural Studies 2006;3(1):48–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Schull, MJ, Shanks, L: Complex emergencies: Expected and unexpected consequences. Prehospital Disast Med 2001;16(4):192–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Hunt, C: Public information as a mission critical component of West African peace operations. African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes 2006. Available at http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/AMMF-6VTL9N/$FILE/ACCORD-Nov2006.pdf?OpenElement.Accessed 05 April 2007.Google Scholar
8.Habayeb, S, Botlon, S, Jones, M, et al. : The role of media and communication. Prehospital Disast Med 2005;20(6):442–445.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Salama, P, Buzard, N, Spiegel, P: Improving standards in international humanitarian response: The Sphere Project and beyond. JAMA 2001;286:531–532.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Griekspoor, A, Sondorp, E: Enhancing the quality of humanitarian assistance: Taking stock and future initiatives. Prehospital Disast Med 2001;16(4):209–215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Inter-Agency Standing Committee 66th Working Group: IASC interim selfassessment of implementation of the cluster approach in the field. Geneva: UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006. Available at http://ocha.unog.ch/humanitarianreform/Portals/1/cluster%20approach%20 page/Introduction/IASC%20Interim%20Self%20Assessment.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2007.Google Scholar
12.Bennett, J, Bertrand, W, Harkin, C, et al. : Coordination of international humanitarian assistance in tsunami-affected countries. London: Tsunami Evaluation Coalition 2006.Available at http://www.tsunami-evaluation.org/ NR/rdonlyres/0E43484A-B991-4EF6-8230-BBC3154812BC/0/coordination_final_report.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2007.Google Scholar
13.US House of Representatives, Congressional Reports: H. Rpt. 109–377: A failure of initiative: Final report of the select bipartisan committee to investigate the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina. Washington DC: Government Printing Office 2006. Available at http://www.gpoaccess. gov/serialset/creports/katrina.html. Accessed 24 April 2007.Google Scholar
14.Zoraster, RM: Barriers to disaster coordination: Health sector coordination in Banda Aceh following the South Asia Tsunami. Prehospital Disast Med 2006;21(1):s13–s18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Telford, J, Cosgrave, J: The international humanitarian system and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis. Disasters 2007;31(1):1–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Oyegbite, K: What have we learned? Coordination. Prehospital Disast Med 2005;20(6):471–474.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Bolton, P, Bass, J, Murray, L, et al. : Expanding the scope of impact assessment in research and program evaluation. Prehospital Disast Med 2007;22(5):390–395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.McDonnell, SM, Perry, HN, McLaughlin, B, et al. : Information for disasters, information disasters, and disastrous information. Prehospital Disast Med 2007;22(5):406–415.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Roberts, L: Advances in monitoring have not translated into improvements in humanitarian health services. Prehospital Disast Med 2007;22(5):384–389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Sommers, SR, Apfelbaum, EP, Dukes, KN, et al. : Race and media coverage of Hurricane Katrina: Analysis and implications of future research questions. Analysis of Social Issues and Public Policy 2006;6(1):1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Robinson, P: The policy-media interaction model: Measuring media power during humanitarian crisis. J Peace Res 2000;37(5):613–633.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Olsen, GR, Carstensen, N, Hoyen, K: Humanitarian crises:What determines the level of emergency assistance? Media coverage, donor interests and the aid business. Disasters 2003;21(2):109–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Robinson, P: The CNN effect: Can the news media drive foreign policy? Review of International Studies 1999;25:301–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Kellner, D: 9/11, spectacles of terror, and media manipulation: A critique of jihadist and Bush media politics. Critical Discourse Studies 2004;1(1):41–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Cate, FH: “CNN effect” is not clear-cut. Humanitarian Affairs Review 2002. Available at http://www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/aid/2002/summercnn.htm. Accessed 22 February 2007.Google Scholar
26.Champlin, D, Knoedler, J: Operating in the public interest or in pursuit of private profits? News in the age of media consolidation. J Econ Issues 2002;36(2):459–468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Scott, B: The politics and policy of media ownership. Am Univ Law Rev 2004;53:645–677.Google Scholar
28.Wellstone, P: Growing media consolidation must be examined to preserve our democracy. Federal Communications Law Journal 2000;52(3):551–554.Google Scholar
29.Stack, M, Kelly, DM: Popular media, education and resistance. Canadian Journal of Education 2006;29(1):5–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30.Redmond, AD:Needs assessments of humanitarian crises.BMJ 2005;330:s1320–1322.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31.Toole, MJ, Walden, RJ: Refugees and displaced persons: War, hunger, and public health. New Engl J Med 1993; 270(5):600–605.Google ScholarPubMed
32.Les, Roberts, personal communication.Google Scholar
33.McDonnell, SM, Bolton, P, Sunderland, N, et al. : The role of the applied epidemiologist in armed conflict. Emerg Themes Epidemiol 2004;1(1):4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34.Robertson, DW, Bedell, R, Lavery, JV, et al. :What kind of evidence do we need to justify humanitarian medical aid? Lancet 2002;360:330–333.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35.Sharon, McDonnell, personal communication.Google Scholar