Media guidelines for reporting on Disasters Part 1

 

DDF Editorial

Media Guidelines / advisories in disaster mitigation

That the Media has an onerous responsibility hardly needs reiteration. We have learnt in the Preamble of this book that if 24X7 Television channels were knowledgeable about Tsunami and broadcast the tsunami occurrence in Nicobars and Sumatra, thousands of lives could possibly have been saved atleast in Tamilnadu in India, Thailand and Sri Lanka. The lesson learnt from that experience is that Media personnel need extensive training and participation in refresher courses on many aspects of earth sciences / natural calamities as well as in disaster mitigation. In the day and age of climate change Media reporting on such issues would assume critical responsibility.

“In the roughly two hours between the earthquake and the tsunami’s arrival in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and mainland India, many people could have escaped the coast in time had they been 

given ample warning” says the WHO report Tsunami 2004: A 
Comprehensive Analysis (http://apps.searo.who.int/PDS_DOCS/B4998.pdf).

 
“On 26 December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami and earthquake that triggered it, killed more than 250 000 people (dead and missing) and displaced 2 million people. Had public awareness and preparedness for tsunamis been greater in the Indian Ocean region, the number of lives lost and damage caused by the tsunami possibly could have been less. Had a similar tsunami occurred in the Pacific Ocean, it is likely that more people would have been warned of the tsunami’s approach and escaped from its path. The Pacific Ocean contains six tsunami sensors—there were none in the Indian Ocean basin. The Pacific Ocean also contains nearly 150 other water-level instruments such as tide gauges that report real-time data via satellite. The Indian Ocean contained only four such devices: one near Australia’s Cocos Island and three in the Maldives. All four of the sensors were located more than 1700 kilometres from the epicentre of the earthquake. Additionally, a Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre with a tsunami alert system, monitors possible tsunami-generating earthquakes and tsunami using sensors. No such centre or alert system existed for the Indian Ocean” says the WHO report Tsunami 2004: A Comprehensive Analysis (http://apps.searo.who.int/PDS_DOCS/B4998.pdf).
 
However a report of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India Preliminary Assessment of Impact of Tsunami in Selected Coastal Areas of India compiled by Department of Ocean Development, Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management, Project Directorate Chennai and hosted on the website of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India (http://www.moes.gov.in/) clearly cites that tide gauges of the National Institute of Ocean Technology did record the first tsunami waves in Port Blair. National Institute of Ocean Technology’s buoys had started recording the swelling of the sea minutes after the earthquake: “National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai has deployed Acoustic Tide Gauges (ATG) at selected places along the Indian coast and Port Blair. The tide gauge at Port Blair, South Andaman recorded gradual rise in water level by 0.9 m from 6.50 hrs to 7.01 hrs – just 2 minutes after the mega earthquake - (compared to normal tide that would have prevailed) on 26th December 2004 which might be due to land subsidence caused by the earthquake. At 7:25 hrs tide gauge showed abnormally high water level of 3.39 m, an increase of water level by 1.0 m compared to level observed at 7.01 hrs indicating arrival of Tsunami waves… Had there been an early warning system in place the tide gauge data would have been interpreted and agencies forewarned for evacuation. But details like tide gauges or radars are hardly on the radar of the news editors of TV News Channels.

“As far as I know only one ATG (maintained by NIOT) was functional at Port Blair on 26th December 2004. Hence, I don’t know which ATGs in ANI started recording Seiches and swelling in the sea around Port Blair? Theoretically, the tsunami 
waves should take ~ 30 minutes to reach Port Blair. Hence, the changes in sea level should have occurred since then. It is possible that the land sunk during earthquake and that must have caused the apparent increase in water level. But that increase in water level is different from the changes in water level caused due to the arrival of tsunami waves. Yes it is possible to separate the sea level change caused by tsunami and the apparent change caused due to land subsidence. The land subsidence can be estimated using GPS 
data and same can be subtracted from the ATG data to get the actual height of tsunami wave or the seich caused by the tsunami 
wave in that region” Dr. Satheesh Shenoi, director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services explained very patiently in an exclusive e mail interview to the author.

During Phailin cyclone, the eye of the storm (cyclone) was expected to make landfall in Gopalpur in Orissa between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm on 12th October 2013. A reporter from a leading Indian TV channel called the PRO / Media Advisor at NDMA to ask from where he can get the best view for shooting footage!!! He also 
demanded directions to reach the best post for filming the eye of the storm when it makes landfall! “I asked him to hire a chopper and fly into the eye of the storm!” said an exasperated PRO. Such is the hunger for sensational TRP hungry TV channels. “Another lead reporter from a mainstream Hindi TV channel called up and said NDRF was not in the “field” when the cyclone was expected to make landfall. The Administration had evacuated populace; So NDRF personnel too had to stay safe. The reporter was making the issue because she was caught in the storm and was waiting for NDRF to rescue. To cover up the fact that she was not meant to be outdoors she wanted to make a story on the fact that NDRF was not deployed. A call from the Delhi HQ later from the TV channel helped us figure out the inside story of the reporter: Her camera batteries were dying and hence they wanted to charge the batteries for which she was blackmailing NDMA that they – the channel would do a negative story against NDRF. Electricity supply had been disconnected in anticipation of the cyclone and these reporters wanted priority power supply to charge camera batteries! NDMA and state authorities were nevertheless preoccupied organising food, shelter, medicines, and logistics for final evacuation and frankly none could care less to help her recharge batteries at zero Hour” said the PRO / Media Advisor of NDMA in an exclusive conversation with the author.

In Ganjam district during cyclone Phailin: A leading TV news channel called the NDMA PRO / Media advisor “to tell us that 
10000 people were stranded in the presence of MLA. They told NDMA that they are ready to give negative coverage for NDMA.

 
We called the state government to cross check but found it untrue, we realised it was an attempt to blackmail us. We eventually realised that MLA had conflict with the DC, that he wanted to settle his scores by using Media. Vested interests cannot be discerned by 
Media unless they know the location very well”. In Uttarakhand during the so called Himalayan Tsunami, Media personnel utilised Army and IAF helicopters during recces on Day 2 to cover their stories, such was the opportunism of the Media said one exasperated NDMA PRO / Media Advisor to this author in an exclusive discussion on 12.08.14. “Later they criticised Armed Forces for not living up to the challenge”. 

But a seasoned perspective to this incident only underscores the need for financial security for reporters. Reporters need to be given credit cards and must have enormous financial support to meet with unexpected expenses during the field reportage. This does not 
happen in India, despite a robust and free Press. Profits from advertising revenue become the coveted possession of  the publishing house / owners. Profits remain uninvested into the 
Media, an expensive mistake for the Fourth Estate.

Governments and organisations like USGS, UNISDR, FEMA, JMA, 

INCOIS, JTIC, ITIC, UNESCO, PTWC, ADPC, NDMA, UK Rapid 

Rescue, Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) and think tanks, INGOs 

etc need to extend / offer training for media personnel interested in 

covering disasters in every federal and provincial capital city 

in every country / region / territory. Media’s responsibility is not all 

about political desk from state and country capitals. In the day 

and age of climate change, anticipating consequences of causes 

makes competent content. Information dissemination serves the 

purpose of outreach quite literally. Twenty, thirty years ago a 

prerequisite for a reporter was a Master’s Degree in Political 

Science, but it helped if the reporters had good general knowledge. 

Today however, national security also means security of the people 

and sound background knowledge is necessary to report on all 

current affairs. National security includes coastal security from the 

elements and Mother Earth’s secret weapons of mass destruction. 

“The Media has a right (and a duty) to report the truth. But 

there must be an agreed ethical code of conduct (not to be confused 

with a Government dictate, which is a bad idea). In the aftermath of 

a natural disaster, the immediate efforts of everyone are focussed on 

saving lives. While criticism of Government’s inadequacies is often 

justifiable, efforts at saving lives have to get priority. 

Requests for rides on rescue helicopters and other rescue vehicles 

should be treated as unethical. Also showing pictures of people (or 

dead bodies) should be carefully screened to take care 

of the sensitivities of their kith and kin. It would also be a good idea 

if all channels pool information on missing persons and pass on the 

same to the Disaster Management Authorities rather than each 

one putting pressure on an already strained system. Regional biases 

in reporting could be avoided since the rescue protocols do not and 

should not recognise regional identities. A common fund by 

the media for rehabilitation would be more effective than each 

media house doing individual relief funds” said T. Nandakumar 

former Member of India’s National Disaster Management Authority 

in charge of agriculture related disasters.

To be continued ... 

Excerpts from Chapter 18 of the 2014 Book Preparing for the Day

After ( https://play.google.com/store/books/details?

id=EbzkBQAAQBAJ )  ... published by Malini Shankar in time for the 

10th anniversary of the Asian Tsunami.