Author: Jim

With the recent insane-o weather, the number of heart-wrenching stories (both good and, unfortunately, bad) out there is amazing. My heart goes out to each and every person touched by the recent tornadoes and floods. There may not be anything to be learned from these stories, but there is always something to make us appreciate what we’ve got and hug a loved one tighter that evening.

That instinct to be near to people when faced with catastrophe is natural, and healthy (when the opposite occurs too strongly, it might be time for someone to talk with). We are social animals, after all. As social media has become an inseparable part of many of our lives, the need for community persists. In a bathroom, in a basement, after everything is okay, when things aren’t okay. We can now take that community with us, on a smartphone hugged under mattresses in a bathtub.

This story from a BlogHer author touched me, and made me think of our role as information providers. We like to think that it is our job to give the facts, but sometimes, it’s also our job to tell people it’s okay to feel what they’re feeling. To be emotional and express relief at good news. To be human. To be a part of the community.

I remember that day, because I worried about all of my friends in Kansas City. In fact, I even said on Twitter that the worst part of knowing people across the country was having to worry about so many more of my friends.

Read Rita’s story here (it’s a happy ending story), and consider how big our roles actually are, bigger than press releases, bigger than social media, as big as the community.

Pop Quiz!

How do your publics want to learn about impending disaster?

Bzzt. Time’s up. Hopefully your answer was more than, “Well, we have this thing that some people are signed up for…” And I really hope your answer was more than, “The news.”

Well, tiny Eden Prairie, Minnesota didn’t like their answer to the pop quiz, so they set out to find out. In this great article out of Emergency Management Magazine, Rick Wimberly explores this process.

Senior Communications Coordinator Katie Beal, as part of her Master’s thesis, sent an Emergency Communication Survey around town that asked the following questions:

1. How would you prefer to receive urgent messages from City officials?
2. How would you likely share emergency information with City officials? …with friends, family and others in the City?
3. How would you prefer to receive initial (first) notification about specific incidents?

There are two things about this that I really like. First, now they’ll know how to get in contact with their publics! Second (while more subtle, I think this is the better of the two), they’ve actively engaged the public in emergency planning! If this was tied to town halls about hazard vulnerabilities and the results were circulated along with draft plan language and the whole thing was tied to a personal preparedness campaign—wow! And even if none of that happened (which it probably did not), just getting the survey and being asked to think about that hopefully spurred some people to think about their own preparedness.

And frankly, I think that has the chance to do more long-term good than deciding if Facebook or text messaging is the preferred route. Kudos, Eden Prairie.

The bad news keeps coming for Northern Japan. On Monday, the nuclear response group in Tokyo issued a statement revising information that had been previously released regarding the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. CNN puts it simply:

Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant experienced full meltdowns at three reactors in the wake of an earthquake and tsunami in March, the country’s Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters said Monday.

Now, I understand that in the aftermath of one of the five most devastating earthquakes recorded, there may be some confusion about how bad one particular site is. And I understand that it’s not exactly easy to tell if a nuclear reactor is leaking, melting down, or just plumb gone. But given that there were calls for more transparency in the immediate aftermath of the incident, both by foreign and Japanese media (Like here. And here.), well, it just goes to show that maybe when there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Okay, sure, nobody will believe TEPCO ever again, but I argue that the damage is worse than that. The Japanese Prime Minister stood there and re-iterated the false statements (not that his approval ratings were anything to write home about beforehand). But, the US government and all of the public health departments across the country said not to worry because there’s been no meltdown, and according to these figures released, we’re in no danger. Ha, ha, ha, silly little lady; don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.

Oops.

If I remember correctly, the NRC issued A SINGLE press release initially. Wipe hands and kick back ‘cause it’s Miller Time.

Then everybody freaked out cause the Surgeon General said, yeah, it’s scary, and you should be prepared for any consequence, and that didn’t follow the script.

Looking at this issue from a higher perspective takes me to my main point. In all of these trainings we’re told to aim high in our initial damage assessments, so we can walk it back later. TEPCO failed miserably at this and every day was like a drumbeat of worsening news. The US government, after not making virtually any statement for days downplayed the situation as well, instead of using it as a teachable moment. Their goal? To not cause panic. Because that would drive people to stockpile and ultimately take KI (which they did, so yeah, goal not attained).

So, my question to you, fellow PIOs, is this. At what point is it, “aiming high in damage,” and at what point is it, “inciting panic?” And are those two mutually exclusive?

I’m totally sold on the “walking it back” goal, and I’m a big believer in the “people don’t panic” mindset, and I think that, by and large, we could do a better job teaching our public about dangers and what we’re doing about them, and what those dangers mean for them. So, I tend to err on the bigger disaster, but here’s what’s really going on side of things. (See my previous post on Dr. Benjamin.) Our federal partners seemed to have erred on the Don’t Panic! Don’t Panic! side of things, maybe improperly. Where do you stand?