33 research outputs found
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“Our Relationship? It’s the Odd Mucky Weekend, Not a One Night Stand”: Journalists and aid agencies in the UK, and the current challenges to sourcing in humanitarian disasters
In humanitarian crises, the sources that journalists employ have always helped determine which stories achieve a high media profile, as well as play a part in framing the story. In particular, aid agencies acted as powerful gatekeepers to disaster zones, providing flights, transport, fixers and translators to journalists–and more recently, text, images and resources for the social web. Questions have been raised around transparency and objectivity in such reporting as a result. This paper draws on 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews with UK national journalists (broadcast, print and online) and aid agencies belonging to the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee. As a result, this paper builds on journalism studies looking at boundary (re)negotiations in journalism and the source-media relationship to show the current patterns in what has been described as a “mutually exploitative” relationship. It compares and contrasts what assistance journalists say they accept from aid agencies and what aid agencies report. It examines how both sides are often unwilling to acknowledge the close association. It will also look at how the increasing professionalisation of NGO operations including the employment of former journalists and producing their own content may be affecting the power dynamics. Finally, it asks whether the slow emergence of scandals means this relationship has not only affected stories that are covered but those that are not
Empirical political analysis : research methods in political science
xvii, 359 p.; 23 cm
Communicating with the Public About Hazardous Materials: An Examination of Local Practice
No Abstract
Processing Hazardous Materials Risk Information
This is the final report on Phase 1 of this project, conducted between March and October, 1988, under Cooperative Agreement No. 814921. It addresses the issue of environmental risk communication under Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). That act calls for the creation in each state of Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) which are to include representatives of local government; police, fire, hospital and other emergency response and public health agencies; facilities likely to use hazardous materials covered by SARA; community groups and the media. Each LEPC\u27s initial responsibility has been to develop a comprehensive plan for responding effectively to emergencies created by the release of hazardous chemicals into the environment. These plans were to be completed by October 17. 1988. In addition to developing the plan, the committees have an important public information function. The LEPCs are to receive and store information formation on chemical hazards in the community from any facility that handles substances identified as hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They are also charged with establishing and administering procedures for responding to public requests for information about these environmental hazards. This study examines a sample of Virginia LEPCs in their role as risk communicators under Title III