The Broadcasting Board of Governors and Voice of America, in partnership with the Aid and Development Forum, held a pre-conference training on media response during disasters. Topics included: Improving the interaction between media and response teams: how to communicate and develop relationships with humanitarian agencies and address challenges that humanitarian groups face when collaborating with media during a disaster. Effective communication and new trends: applying social media in disaster relief, how to make the most of new technologies and social networks How to collaborate with the private sector: using case studies, the session will focus on utilizing partnerships with the private sector companies to rebuild local communities How to better engage communities and local governments: managing partnerships during a disaster

1. How to Better Engage The
Communities and Local
Governments in Disasters
November 18, 2014
Disaster Relief Media Training
VOA & AIDF

2. Who We Are: Civil Military Activities
Integration (CMAI)
 CTNSP is one of five research centers in the Institute for National Strategic Studies
(INSS) at the National Defense University, which is part of the Department of Defense
 CTNSPs four research areas are:
1. Civil Military Activities Integration (CMAI)
2. Innovative Learning
3. Emerging Challenges (cyber, space, autonomous systems, etc.)
4. Science & Technology
 CMAI work supports building partner nation capacity, HA/DR, stability ops and DSCA
domestically
 Focused on engaging whole-of-government (Department of State, USAID, DHS, FEMA,
etc.), international partners, and NGOs, business, international organizations, etc.

3. TIDES*: Support to
Stressed Populations
 DoD research project dedicated to open-source
knowledge sharing to promote sustainable
solutions to populations under stress—post-disaster,
3
post-war, impoverished
 Provides reach-back support & knowledge on
demand through:
 Integrated Research, Outreach & Info Sharing
 Support to Rapid Fielding
 Support to Crises, Ongoing & Current Events
 Demonstrations and Displays
TIDES Supports 4 DoD mission
areas:
1. Humanitarian
Assistance/Disaster Response
2. Defense Support of Civil
Authorities
3. Building Partner Capacity
4. Stability, Security, Transition &
Reconstruction
* TIDES = Transformative Innovation for Development & Emergency Support

4. The STAR-TIDES Network

5. Your Responsibility as Journalists
in a Disaster –Stricken Area
 We should be in constant training and discussion
before disasters strike;
 At the local levels, civil society, religious leaders, law
enforcement and community leaders are already
engaged in a variety of social, economic and other
alliances – it is essential to tap into these networks
to map out a plan and ready ourselves between
disasters;
5

6. Your Responsibility as Journalists
in a Disaster –Stricken Area
 Learn to utilize available technology to the max:
 Dedicated radio frequencies;
 GIS capabilities;
 Crowdsourced information sharing and analysis -
engaging with Ushahidi, Humanitarian OpenStreet
Map, others) to better share info;
 Are there waivers for equipment or technology issues
so that local disaster responders can gain quicker
access?
 If there is no shared system, what can you do to
enhance communications in the affected area with
your own capability? 6

7. Your Responsibility as Journalists
in a Disaster –Stricken Area
 Journalists need to be advocates for
collaboration, proving coverage and good news
for the communities – in the midst of enormous
stress, you should celebrate disaster response
successes – your action will mean that media is
taking focus and recognizes the significance of
various relief efforts.
7

8. Your Responsibility as Journalists
in a Disaster –Stricken Area
 Don’t wait to cover it until it happens - best ways
to get information out to the people is through
community religious groups - they can do it in
ways that other parts of civil society can’t;
 Find out what is happening at the very local levels
– drive that message home through a variety of
means since different audiences receive messages
in different ways – print, electronic or radio;
8

9. Your Responsibility as Journalists
in a Disaster –Stricken Area
 And hone message of disaster preparedness -
explain to the local communities/your broadcast
audiences what supplies will be set up and where,
where NGOs will be located, explain and describe
the available resources - do this regularly so that it
become part of your concept of operations.
Explain all this in an easy language for people to
understand.
9

10. Your Responsibility as Journalists
in a Disaster –Stricken Area
 Do you have a kit for a disaster scenario: things to do
before disasters, during disasters, post-disaster in the
reconstruction phase?
 It is essential to find out what local communities are already
doing and how they are organizing - broadcast that out to
let people know that efforts are always under way to
prepare.
 Be receptive to feedback and have open channels of
communication - so that local communities know they can
utilize your resources to get necessary information back to
their people.
10

11. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
Samuel Bendett
Assistant Research Fellow, Civil Military
Activities Integration
Samuel.Bendett@ndu.edu
202 433 5235