At the present time, the time of progress and new technologies, the time of revolution in all spheres of our life, the number of the different mass media available to us is wide and rich. Moreover, the quality of the means of communication is constantly increasing. The use of media among young people is more private and independent. The elder people use the means of communication in order to get some information. It is worth stressing that the mass media is one of the leading factors in life of society but only in that case when it brings benefits.
As to the natural disasters, the mass media always informs us about them, but the only problem is that the information is not always reliable, credible, and checked. We always get data about the natural disasters and how to defend from them. TV, radio and internet news is accessible for everybody, and the most important ones are repeated several times during a day. Newspapers are also not indifferent to such urgent problems as natural disasters and devote a lot of articles to this problem.
Nobody denies that fact that the mass media plays an important role in informing, analyzing and preventing from the natural disasters. It is impossible to avoid natural catastrophe; however, the aim of the means of communication is to prevent, make people prepare to the worst, and not to ignore the measures of protection. The role of the mass media is to give the unpleasant and terrific information in such a way to make people not be in panic and stressed but be organized and disciplined. The means of communication are known to like to exaggerate some events in order to make a stir and attract the attention of as more people as possible.
Moreover, the mass media should work successfully, give only true, credible as well as checked information and never make hasty conclusions. The mass media should be not only a resource of information but also an instructor of action before, during and after any natural disasters, as well as a psychologist who can calm and deprive of psychological attack, depression, and stress. The means of communication take the leading role during all phases of natural disasters becoming the outlet for hard news and satisfying the audience’s needs. Indeed, the mass media should be a helper for government and people in cases of natural disasters. Moreover, the mass media can educate giving scientific knowledge about catastrophes, warn about dangers, inform, calm and empower people to learn how to protect and give the first aid.
We propose to study the project about the role of the mass media in natural disasters. The purpose of the project is to analyze and present the importance of the means of communication in natural disasters, namely the hurricane Katrina, one of the strongest storms on the coast of the USA. This project deals with the ways of making decision of the society facing the hurricane and possibilities of the mass media to inform, predict and prevent people from anxiety, panic, and disorder. This project learns how one can use the information of the mass media with benefit.
The cities, which were suffered, damaged and destroyed by the hurricane, are the following: New Orleans, Los Angeles, Mobile, Alabama, Gulfport, and Mississippi.
The Actions of the Most Important Communities of the City during the Hurricane Katrina
First of all, the role of the most important people and communities of the city in the natural disasters and the help of mass media in solving the most urgent problems concerning the natural disasters should be defined. The hurricane Katrina has been taken as an example.
It is obvious that one can offer a lot of the bright examples proving that collaboration communities of any city with the mass media can bring positive results. Mass media can provide public education and fast warnings which could save thousand people’s lives during the hurricane Katrina.
Mayor
The mayor is the chairman of the city, and it is not only the high position but the responsibility for everything what takes place in the city, no matter positive or negative. The actions during the natural disaster are also in his competence. As he is in authority, he has to decide whether citizens are supposed to be evacuated or not. His competence is to organize the informing of citizens about the hurricane Katrina, and he could have done this with the help of the mass media: newspapers articles, TV news, as well as announcements on the radio or internet articles. Besides, he should have kept discipline and calm among of people in order to prevent unnecessary fear and panic, which are considered the worst things during the hurricane or any other disaster.
The mayor should be constantly in touch with the mass media and keep an eye on data. However, as we know, during the hurricane Katrina, a lot of mayors as well as citizens were in panic and fear as citizens and did not know what to do. They released themselves from responsibility for the lives of other people and tried to save their own ones. For example, Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans at the time of the hurricane Katrina, did nothing to help citizens of his city. He described his feelings and experiences from the hurricane in his book.
During the hurricane Katrina, mayors were paranoid; they did not collaborate with the mass media and did not support citizens. Thus, people suffered not only psychically but materially, morally, and psychologically.
We want to emphasize the importance of collaboration of the mayor and mass media. Without any doubts, they should work together and solve the issues of the city. There must not be mutual attacks and accusations concerning who is guilty of everything what happened. It is proved that, when people are aware and conscious of danger, they will do what is in their forces to avoid losses and damages.
Emergency Management Officers
Emergency Management Officers have a lot of duties concerning the natural disasters. They organize emergency teams for saving people, use modeling and stimulation technology to solve possible disaster situations, conduct training programs for disaster responsible teams, and obtain supplies, protective gears, and equipment. Indeed, Emergency Management Officers did a lot during that terrible hurricane Katrina. They helped to organize the medical aid stations for local people and evacuate them from the dangerous places. One can say that they worked effectively during the hurricane Katrina.
In spite that Emergence Management Officers worked hardly during the natural disaster, it was proved that there were procedural obstacles, administrative failures, as well as the delayed arrivals of needed resources. It means that there were not coordinated works of all services responsible for the saving from natural disasters and collaboration with the mass media. The main aim of Emergence Management Officers is emergency preparedness that can be achieved by good planning, equipping, and training.
Without doubt, the mass media can be a good helper in this. However, it is not understandable why such organizations see the mass media as an obstacle, as somebody who pokes one’s nose into strange affairs. This stereotype must be ruined, and then the collaboration of the mass media and organizations responsible for saving from the natural disasters will be successful. It was proved that the first step to protection from the natural disaster is warning, and only the mass media can organize this. Of course, emergency preparedness and early warning measures save lives.
Public Safety
Another organization that is responsible for the safety of people is Pubic safety. The duties of public safety are prevention and protection from the crimes and natural disasters that cause danger, harm, damage, and injury. However, during the hurricane Katrina, Public safety was not effective as it was revealed after the catastrophe. It turned out to be unprepared to such a natural disaster. There were not enough food, water, equipment, and fuel. It is Public safety that is responsible for all these supplies.
It is impossible to predict all results of any natural disaster; however, the hurricane Katrina gave a good lesson for the preparing for future hurricanes and natural disasters. Of course, maybe after such a terrific event, all organizations will think about their work and its successful planning. Let’s reveal how the means of communication can help Public safety to solve such urgent problems. Indeed, it is the government that has to do everything to make the organizations see the mass media as a partner who follows the same aims, but not as an opponent.
The mass media presents a progressive, undefined and sometimes out-of control way of reflecting any events. Thus, the means of communication have positive and negative influence on people during any natural disaster. Its positive sides are that people are well-informed, get to know about everything concerning hurricane, for example. When they are busy with something, watching TV, reading blogs in the internet, or listening to the radio, they are not so stressed and in panic.
The negative sides of the mass media are that it uses unchecked information very often. The following information can make people be in a panic and can be the psychological pressure for people who feel anxiety and fear. The mass media can also exaggerate the situation playing on its rating levels. Without doubt, at such critical situations, one cannot but thinking only about rating and popularity and taking care about people’s life and health. Thus, Public safety should share the transparent information with the mass media, and it then will give it to people.
Emergency Services
Emergency services or rescue services are organizations which are responsible for public safety and health of people. They provide programs so to help the public to avoid and protect themselves from disasters. During the hurricane Katrina, the policy of emergency services was not successful and qualifying. That is why after this natural disaster, they changed their principle of work.
Partnership with the mass media will be favourable for work of emergency services. There are a lot of examples proving the vital role of the means of communication in educating the public about disasters, gathering and transmitting information about affected areas, warning about danger, alerting the government and organizations with the purpose of acting and helping discussions about preparation to disasters and ways of protection.
The mass media can fulfill these actions more effectively than the scientific and disaster organization; that is why they should establish, widen and strengthen relationships with the media. Only coordinated actions of the mass media with the government can be successful. The means of communication are the quickest way of spreading of information; however, it must me complete and accurate data. The task of governmental organizations is to motivate public and contribute to the saving of people’s lives.
The Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce takes care about safety and protection of workers and consumers promoting innovative industries. During the hurricane, the Department of Commerce was responsible for supplies and equipment for protection. However, as the other organizations, this organ does not collaborate with the mass media in question of protection of people from natural disasters.
It is necessary to emphasize the importance of creating of the common mechanism between journalists and public organizations in order to stimulate their collaboration and mutual helping of society. They should learn about the work of each other.
Social Services
Social services belong to public services that provide people with health care, public housing, and social security. Social services helped people during the hurricane Katrina giving the first medical -aid and evacuating. As to the collaboration of social services and the mass media, there was no collaboration at all. People prefer social services to other organizations during any disaster, but the mass media often criticizes such a help. As to the mass media, it has an intention to give a voice to the voiceless society to inform and to educate people.
Indeed, the society has the right to be informed and warned about threats. Furthermore, the mass media provides the information which is meaningful and significant. It is evident that there is no connection between the mass media and social services. Social services suppose that the mass media influences badly on society and can transmit false and dangerous information. One more negative side of the media is using for propaganda and complete control of the audience.
Public Information Officers
Public Information Officers are the people who are responsible for gathering and providing of information to the public and the mass media according to law and their duties. Comparing the collaboration of the mass media with other organizations, one can say that the media communicates and collaborates with public information officers most of all mass. The effective communication between public organizations and the mass media will be when the information about natural disasters is precise and effective. Such information can stimulate people to practice and lean how to protect themselves and attract attention of governmental organizations to disaster protection and prevention.
Public Broadcasting Service provided instructions for disaster preparedness, and that is why it is necessary that all governmental organizations were ready to any natural catastrophe and other problems. Effective working and protection from disasters require collaboration of the media, governmental and non-governmental organizations, scientists, and agencies. The importance of working together will benefit and help to explore and predict natural disasters.
Superintendent of Schools
Superintendents of Schools are the headmasters who control educational process. Without doubt, they also play an important role in questions concerning natural disasters. Children should be knowledgeable about natural disasters and know how to protect themselves. These are the superintendents of schools who can do this collaborating with other organizations, as well as the mass media in questions of disasters. Superintendents of schools must invite public information officers or emergency and social services at school in order to teach pupils at the early age to be conscious about a possible danger.
It is necessary that the mass media focuses its attention on disaster prevention and reduction and does not scare people with the information about losses of life, death, and damages to property. Disaster organizations and the mass media should find the common solutions to such unpredictable problems. Disaster organizations should not accuse the means of communication of the false information. As to mass media, it should not worry the public and describe only negative aspects of the problem as it was with the hurricane Katrina when panic was caused among people.
Animal Care and Regulation
Animal care and regulation is the organization which takes care about animals. We know that during any natural disaster not only people but also animals are in danger. That is why our society should protect them during any catastrophe, as well. Animal care regulation can ask people to help or give a shelter to the injured animals. It is the mass media and its publicity that can provide it.
The hurricane Katrina had taken lives not only of people but animals because of indifference. The task of animal care and regulation is to provide animal care and emergency veterinary services.
Conclusions
In conclusion, it is essential to mention that it is impossible to avoid a natural catastrophe; however, the aim of the means of communication is to prevent, make people prepare to the worst, and not ignore the measures of protection. The role of the mass media is to give the unpleasant and terrific information in such a way to make people not be in panic and stressed but be organized and disciplined.
Without doubt, the mass media can be a good helper in problems concerning natural disasters. However, it is not unclear why such organizations see the mass media as an obstacle, as somebody who pokes one’s nose into strange affairs. This stereotype must be ruined, and thus, the collaboration of mass media and organizations responsible for saving from the natural disasters will be successful. The first step to protection from any natural disaster is warning, and only the mass media can fulfill the following duty effectively and accordingly. Emergency preparedness and early warning measures save lives.
It is impossible to predict all results of any natural disaster; however, the hurricane Katrina gave a good lesson for the preparing for future hurricanes and natural disasters. Maybe, after having gone though such a terrific event, all organizations will think about their work and mistakes in order to avoid them in the future.
The mass media presents progressive, undefined and sometimes out-of control way of reflecting any events. Thus, the means of communication have positive and negative influence on people during any natural disaster. Its positive sides are that people are well-informed, get to know about everything concerning hurricane, for example.
The negative sides of the mass media are that it may use unchecked information that can make people be in a panic. The mass media can also exaggerate the situation in order to improve its rating levels.
We believe that the collaboration of the mayor, emergency management officers, pubic safety, emergency and social services, public information officers, superintendents of schools and animal care with the mass media is necessary as it will help to make the life safer and more protected.
While analyzing the work of the mass media and public organizations, we came to the conclusions that the mass media play an essential role in informing and educating people about natural disasters. Indeed, the society has the right to be informed and warned about threats. Furthermore, the mass media provides information which is meaningful and significant.
The mass media can fulfill these actions more effectively than the scientific and disaster organization. That is why they should establish, widen and strengthen relationships with the media. Only coordinated actions of the mass media with the government can be successful. The means of communication are the quickest way of spreading of information; however, it must be complete and accurate data. The task of governmental organizations is to motivate public and do their best to save people’s lives.