Are we listening during emergencies? 

CRJ’s Advisory Panel member Amanda Coleman explores the power of local networks and engaging communities in a crisis in her latest blog for Under Pressure. 


Image by Magnific

Throughout the week I have been struck by something that gets continually overlooked in crisis and emergency communication. People and communities are viewed as passive receivers of information. This is particularly evident in emergency communication, where authorities send out information and expect the receivers to then take action. 

But this is far from the truth. The reality, as I have witnessed on more than one occasion, is that people are gathering information from lots of formal and notably informal sources. They don’t wait to be told what the situation is if it is something directly affecting them. They speak to friends and neighbours, they search online, they will listen to trusted media sources, and then they will decide what to do. 

What does it mean to communication? The reality is when emergencies and crises happen, we rush for the plans and procedures to help us navigate the uncertainties and challenges. Have we got the right policies and approaches in place?

It is vital to consider the audience that you want to communicate with but on a deeper level than is usually documented in communication plans. Do you know who are the people with authority within communities? It is important to realise that these are not appointed posts; they will have developed over years and through many situations and events that have happened. You might know the residents’ Facebook group operators, but is it them? Do you know who is trusted? Are you able to work with them to get your messages where they really matter?

This may all sound way too complex and difficult for organisations that have small communication teams, so what should we do? For starters, invest in mapping these local channels and relationships before anything happens and know who is trusted in communities and make contact so you can work with them if something happens. This is where local community resilience planning can be very helpful.

Then, review whether your communication is stuck in broadcast mode and see how you can move quickly into engagement. Moreover, identify people who can help you to gather vital information from local communities about how they work when you are faced with a crisis. And finally, be prepared to listen, particularly to those most affected, as they will be telling you what they need from communication.

This has made me take a whole new look at emergency communication plans, and there is a lot more we can do to bring this dimension of local messaging and channels into our preparedness planning.

Read the full piece here.