ICTs and Effective Communication Strategies: Specific Needs of Information before, during and after Disasters

There is a widespread agreement that the mass media are a powerful and important source of people's perception of the world, the world of foreseen or unforeseen disasters and risk being no exception. Within disaster management the national media system is an especially important means of disseminating warnings and information. However, media organisations have their own logic and goals that are not necessarily compatible with the logics and goals of disaster planning and assistance agencies. Thus, how the media interpret their responsibility to warn and inform presents particular problems. Recent developments in the media sector have altered the production, content and reception of disaster and risk messages in numerous ways. Additionally, increasing numbers of natural and man-made disasters, with effects that can be minimized, requires adaptations in disaster management strategies. Here, the focus is on improving current practices in communicating disasters and risk. On the face of it, the use of advanced information and communications technologies (ICTs), such as the internet for emergency websites or cell phones appear to be good solutions, bridging a gap between the public and disaster management. However, if authorities take a technologically determinist approach, they fail to account for the ways in which audiences actually use information sources. People are not passive absorbers of media information, rather they are active seekers and users that 'make up their own minds'. When these factors are overlooked plans to communicate with citizens can be undermined. The research findings presented here, based upon investigations of basic problems faced by the media in reporting risk, public information needs and behaviour in the face of risk perceptions leads to conclusions that are the basis for recommendations to improve communication strategies in disaster situations. This contribution will identify some of the common challenges that emergency management professional face in planning to meet the needs of the population during and after disasters. The use of ICTs and other strategies employed to minimize the impact of a disaster are also discussed.