Percentage of Journalists (N=26) Covering Greek …10.9. 2005 ERC-N. Petropoulos 3 Quantitative profile of the Journalists sample (N=26) Media affiliation Newspaper Radio TV Two or

10.9. 2005 ERC-N. Petropoulos 1

The Management of Information: Profiles, Practices & Opinions of Journalists Covering the

1999 Athens EQ

The management of information by the media during crises: gatekeeping and truncation procesess, impact on decision-making structure, command post theory, relations among competitive media organizations, phase and content focus of media etc.

Two models for journalists: Journalists as objective, impartial “recorders” and journalists as agent/participants in the mass emergency mitigation and recovery processes


General context and parameters of the present study

Title “The 1999 Athens EQ: Self-evaluation and Proposals of Agencies for Civil Protection Organization”

Project Head N. Petropoulos, Sociologist

Collaborators A. Zisiadis, Civil Engineer, K. Ioannidis, Civil Engineer, T. Papadopoulos, Geophysicist, D. Pyrros, Medical Doctor

Funding agency Earthquake Planning & Protection Organization (EPPO)

Research Group Emergency Research Center of Athens, Greece

Groups studied Federal, Prefecture and local CD officials; scientists, rescue officials & workers, foreign rescue missions, NGO officials and workers, Journalists

Data collection methods/period

16 questionnaires, covering organization, exposure, general, specific, demographic variables. 12/2001-6/2002

Data Analysis Quantitative (percentages, cross-tab, spearman rho) and qualitative (content analysis).


Quantitative profile of the Journalists sample (N=26)

Media affiliation

Newspaper Radio TV Two or more

42,3% 11,5% 23,1% 23,1%

Education H.S. Grads College-tech Univ/ty Grad school

46,2% 7,7% 30,8% 15,4%

Status of media organization

State Private Mixed

15,4% 76,9% 7,6%

Sex Males Females

53,8% 46,2%


Percentage of Journalists (N=26) covering past Greek earthquakes (1978-1999)

0 20 40 60 80 100

Ath99

Aig95

Grev95

Pyr93

Kal86

Alc81

Sal78


Percentage of Journalists who had experience with other disasters (N=26)

57,7

73,1

61,5

50

80,8

96,2

88,5

0 20 40 60 80 100

Ter

Ship

Air

Tech

Heat

Flood

Ffires


Media coverage of the 1999 Athens EQ by the journalists (N=26)

19,2

30,8

53,8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

TV Radio Newspaper


EQ Site distribution of Journalists and disaster victims

EQ site Cover-age(%)

Dead(No.)

EQ site Cover-age(%)

Dead

Ricomex factory 80,8 39 Faran factory 50,0 8

MD-Menidi (1) 57,7 5 MD-Metamorfosi 65,4 16

Biokyt factory 26,9 6 MD-Philadelphia 50,0 7

Fialoplast factory 30,8 3 MD-Menidi (2) 30,0 4

Fourlis factory 69,2 8 Other sites 42,3

Nursery(Menidi) 11,5 1 None 3,8

Psych Hospital 15,4 0


Percentage of 26 journalists covering the various post-EQ phases (1999 Athens EQ)

96,2 96,2

5057,7

0102030

405060

708090

100

I mmed RecovTemp RecovPerm Recon


Content focus of the journalists’ coverage of the 1999 Athens EQ (N=26)

Content Focus on %

1. Only the victims, disasters and their effects 3,8

2. Impacts & victims plus rescue, treatment, recovery, reconstruction 23,1

3. Impacts/victims & reconstruction or responsibility or litigation 11,5

4. Damages or recovery or responsibility plus EQ prediction 7,7

5. Damages and field assesment and survey of victims 7,7

6. Field assessment of victims plus impacts or rescue and recovery 15,4

7. Responsiveness of agencies to the EQ 7,7

8. Combination of topics (e.g. No. 6 plus charges & responsibility..) 15,4

9. All the above topics and issues 7,7

10. Total 100,0


Sources of information in the 1999 Athens EQ for the 26 Journalists during the immediate

post-EQ period

Source %

Reps of civil protection agencies (e.g. EPPO, GSCP etc.) 84,6

Local Government reps (Prefecture, municipal authorities) 73,1

Reps of Greek state rescue teams (EMAK, EKAB) 88,5

Reps of foreign rescue missions 42,3

Reps of NGOs (Greek Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, Doctors of the World etc.)

69,2

Survivors and the wounded 73,1

Relatives of Dead Victims 73,1

Other Sources 30,8


Satisfaction of scientists (N=61), journalists (N=26) and GSCP officials (N=2) with the information of the public by the

geoscientists following the 1999 Athens EQ

Rating Scale: Not at all=0, Little=1, Average=2, Sufficiently=3, Very much=4

Cross-tab analysis of demographic, organizational and situational data with satisfaction rating of journalists

Results. Two significant findings: Women>Men (p<0,04) and Journalists from organizations with fewer journalists> journalists from organizations with more journalists (p<0,04).

2,25

2,25

1,5

0 2 4

Scientists

Journalists

GSCP


Stakeholder satisfaction with the media coverage of the 1999 Athens EQ

Rating Scale: Not at all=0, Little=1, Average=2, Sufficiently=3, Very much=4

Results: Most satisfied were the Civil Protection (N=2) and the local government (N=88) officials and least the Scientists (N=59) and the prefecture officials (N=3). Intermediate were the ratings of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization staff/officials (N=9).

2,68

1,69

2

1,66

3

0 2 4

LocGov

Scien

EPPO

Prefect

GSCP


Satisfaction of Journalists with the media coverage of the 1999 Athens EQ (N=26)

Trend: None expressed dissatisfaction

Correlates (spearman rho): 1. Age: the older gave a

more negative self-evaluation than the younger (rho=-0,538,p<0,01).

2. Education: the more educated gave a more negative evaluation of media coverage the the less educated (rho=-0,395, p<0,05).

0 50 100

Average

Quite

V. Much


Satisfaction with the Government’s task of informing the Journalists during the immediate

post-EQ phase (1999 Athens EQ).

General trend: most gave average and quite satisfactory ratings

Correlates of satisfaction were age (-0,510, p<0,01), experience with Greek Eqs(-0,458, p<0,05), number of stricken areas covered (-0,421,p<0,05), number of information sources (-0,555,p<0,01) and higher scores on soc of disasters test (-0,471,p<0,05). Note: all correlations are inverse.

Not at all LittleAverage QuiteVery DNK


Opinions of Journalists with regard to the measures to be undertaken by the government to expedite the journalist’s

task in Eqs and disasters (N=26)

More, better and continuous flow of information to journalists 15,4%

Establish a unified organ for briefing journalists, to operate on 24 hour basis

19,2%

Direct briefing by the involved agencies & organizations 7,7%

Control access of journalists to disaster ruins for direct reportage 7,7%

Expedite immediate access of journalists to to EQ-stricken areas 3,8%

Systematic, valid briefing by scientists to cover all aspects of EQ 15,4%

Need to better manage the curiosity seekers 3,8

Combination of the above 7,7%

Everything is fine, encountered no problems getting information 7,7%

No answer/do not know 11,5%

Total 100,0


General Evaluation of the Short-term EQ Prediction Method (VAN) by Scientists (N=62) and

Journalists (N=26)

General trend: The journalists view the VAN method as more promising and less theory than the scientists; the scientists view it as more theory and less promising than the journalists

Cross-tab results for Journalists: 1. Those who relied on multiple

information sources saw it as more theory(p<0,03) than those relaying on few sources.

2. Those with more courses on soc of MM saw it as more promising (p<0,03) than those with fewer.

3. The younger saw it as more promising (p<0,07) than the older ones.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Scien Journ

Useless TheoryPromising VitalNA/DNK


General Evaluation of the Medium-term EQ Prediction Method by Scientists (N=62) and

Journalists (N=26)

General trend: the Scientists see it somewhat more promising than the Journalists;the reverse of the short-term method.

Cross-tab results for journalists: 1. Journalists with less experience with

“other” disasters view it as more promising (p<0,02)

2. Journalists who relied on multiple sources for 1999 EQ view it more as a theory (p<0,02) and

3. Journalists with more courses on sociology of MM saw it as more promising (p<0,06) than those with fewer courses.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Scien Journ

Useless TheoryPromising VitalNA/DNK


Opinion of Journalists regarding the management of EQ predictions by the government (N=26)

They shoud not be published, danger for more harm than good 11,5%

They should be kept secret,but taken into account 3,8%

Take measures discretely, without creating panic 15,4%

First an evaluation by scientists and then publication 19,2%

Publish them, under certain conditions(e.g. pre-existent public education, code of ethics and evacuation plans..)

19,2%

The state should undertake responsibility by creating a single information organ

11,5%

All the facts should be published, cannot control all information channels

7,7%

Other/No Answer/Do not Know 11,5%

Total 100,0%


Satisfaction of Journalists with the Journalists’ Code of Ethics (N=26)

“The journalist has the right and the duty to handle with discretion and sensitivity the citizens, when they are in a state of mourning, psychological shock, and grief as well as those who have an apparent psychological problem, taking precautions not to focus on their personal problems”(Article 2, par.5,Journalists’ Code of Ethics”).

Reservations of the minority: commercialization of pain, implementation & more austere formulation

010

20

30

40

50

6070

80

90

Satis/ry Notsatis/ry


Journalists’ responses to the sociology and psychology of disasters test (N=26)

Statements about disasters % “correct”

Panic constitutes the most common response in big disasters (Agree=False)

0,0%

Looting usually follows natural disasters (Agree=False) 50,0

A climate of consensus is more common in natural than in technological disasters (Agree=True)

69,2

Psychological shock and post-traumatic stress are inevitable in disasters (disagree=False)

3,8

The evacuation of an area in case of an impending disaster takes place smoothly without resistance to the authorities (Agree=False)

57,7


Correlates of high sociology and psychology test scores for Journalists (N=26)

Age; the older journalists had higher scores than the younger ones (rho=0,348, p<0,10)

Greek EQ experience (number of Eqs): the more the experience, the higher the scores(rho=366, p<0,10).

Breadth of phases coverage in the 1999 Athens EQ: the more phases they covered the higher the score (rho=0,469, p<0,05)

Number of journalists in the organization; the more the journalists, the lower the score(rho=-0,573, p<0,05).

Note: No association (ANOVA test) between type of media (Newspaper, Radio,TV) and test scores,though the means were in anticipated direction (NP>Radio>TV).


Percent of respondents who attribute social causality to disasters (% who chose two agree

categories in a five-grade scale)

64,1

75

56,4

46,1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Loc Off Resc W krs Scient Journ


Summary of principal observations regarding the coverage of the 1999 Athens EQ and information

management in disasters

More concentrated coverage in the early than in the later phases of the 1999 EQ; however, later phases are also covered.

A strong correlation between coverage and victimization, but not perfect

Content focus not only on victims and impacts but also on other topics (e.g. responsibility, reconstruction etc). Composite thematology.

Sources of information principally the state authorities in accord with the command post theory

Re assesment of coverage: Journalists evaluate higher the work of scientists regarding public information than scientists the work of journalists regarding public information.

Government officials rate higher the work of media than that of the scientists,though the sample of government officials is limited.


Summary of principal observations regarding the coverage of the 1999 Athens EQ and information

management in disasters (continued)

Journalists rate relatively high the government’s information services for them, though they also make suggestions for improvement.

Journalists are for publication of predictions under certain conditions (e.g. public education, emergency planning etc.)

Journalists generally give a high rating of their public information work

Journalists rate relatively high the relevant code of ethics, though a small minority has reservations.

Journalists score high on panic and PTSD stereotypes than on looting, evacuation and consensus stereotypes

Journalists are comparatively low on social etiology of disasters.


Conclusions and policy reccommendations

Improvement in the organization of state information services for the journalists during Eqs and disasters

Improvement of relations and coordination between the scientists and the journalists.

Education of Journalists, basic education and in-service training. Content to focus on (1) disaster mythology, (2) processes of management of information during crises, (3) disaster complexities and new educational demands, (4) the ethics of crisis coverage and (5) the dual role of journalists as recorders and civil protection agents.

More systematic studies of journalists, with larger samples that the present study.

Documents

Percentage of Journalists (N=26) Covering Greek …10.9. 2005 ERC-N. Petropoulos 3 Quantitative profile of the Journalists sample (N=26) Media affiliation Newspaper Radio TV Two or