MEMBERS’ EXCLUSIVE

Our next PSM Unpacked roundtable session will explore public media’s unique role during crises and emergencies.

Members of the Public Media Alliance are invited to attend our next PSM Unpacked roundtable to discuss and share approaches to covering and responding to crises and emergency events.

Registration details and more information on this special event can be found below.

To register, please email editor@publicmediaalliance.org by Monday 22 August. 

Why this topic?

During times of crisis, public media organisations play a vital role in promptly disseminating reliable, trusted and often life-saving news and information to entire populations. In most emergency situations, public service media are the go-to media outlets due to their reach and scale. Such responsibility is often enshrined in the public service mandate for many broadcasters, particularly for those in nations prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes.

In recent years, this role has been demonstrated in Tonga during and after the 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami; the deadly floods in Europe in 2021; Australia’s catastrophic bushfire season in 2019/2020 and Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in 2019.

This forum will be an opportunity for public media workers to share experiences, impart knowledge, and learn from others.

Who is this for?

This roundtable is a moderated forum exclusive to all employees from PMA’s global membership and invited partners.

What will be covered?

During the forum, participants will share insights, best practices, challenges, and tips on how public media organisations can best serve the public during times of emergencies, natural disasters, and other crises.

Coming from diverse geographical backgrounds, our participants will cover a range of topics under the theme, including:

  • Developing emergency broadcasting guidelines, policies or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);
  • Building resiliency: drawing on previous experiences, learnings, and changes to reporting
  • Fact-checking and verifying information
  • Journalist and media workers’ safety and wellbeing on the ground
  • Use of technology and equipment: how to respond during blackouts

While the session will primarily cover emergency broadcasting in relation to natural disasters, we also welcome members who want to share relevant experiences or comment on coverage of and response mechanisms for other types of crises.

When

Thursday 25 August 2022, 21:00 – 22:30 BST (UK time)*

Please see other relevant time zones below (or check your local time here)

15:00 (Jamaica, EST);

16:00 (Guyana, EDT/GYT);

22:00 (CEST)

06:00 (Sydney, Australia, AEST) (Friday 26th August)

08:00 (New Zealand, NZST) (Friday 26th August)

*The session will last between 60-90 minutes. Participants will not be obliged to commit to beyond 60 minutes.

Where

Via Zoom. 

The session will be recorded for PMA’s records but will not be published publicly. Instead, a summary sheet of key discussion points, practical advice and resources mentioned will be made available shortly after the forum via our website and sent out to participants.

Participants will receive a link to the roundtable meeting upon registration.

Register your interest in PSM Unpacked:

“Public media: A lifeline during emergencies”
Register
If you’d like to participate in this forum, please register via email to editor@publicmediaalliance.org 

Please register by Monday 22 August.

Header image: Flooding in Freeport. Credit: ZNS