Information and the Media
Background
Good public communication is vital to the successful handling of any
emergency and should be incorporated in all contingency planning. This
section supports the key communications objectives in emergency response -
to deliver accurate, clear and timely information and advice to the public
so they feel confident, safe and well informed. It also identifies some of
the technical and practical issues that will arise for those working with
the media in an emergency.
The Civil Contingencies Act includes two specific duties for Category 1
responders in relation to communicating with the public. Firstly, there is
a duty to inform the public about civil protection matters so that the
public are better prepared to deal with emergencies if they occur.
Secondly, there is a duty to maintain arrangements to warn the public and
provide appropriate advice if an emergency occurs.
In addition, the Government has issued the Preparing
for Emergencies booklet [External website] to help
ensure that the public is informed and prepared.
There have been considerable changes in the news media in recent years with
the development of 24-hour rolling news and the advent of multiple channels
provided through cable and satellite connections, plus 24-hour news
websites. These developments mean that in an emergency, there will be a
constant requirement from the media for accurate, timely and up-to-date
information. Where it is not provided, rumour and misinformation may
flourish.
The Media Emergency
Forum (MEF), and since their establishment in 2003, increasingly the
Regional MEFs (RMEFs), have been working with the media to establish
arrangements to ensure the delivery of information to the public in an
emergency. A protocol on the delivery of urgent public safety information
has also been agreed with national broadcasters.
As an emergency develops, there will be a requirement for a more
comprehensive media response structure to ensure consistency in the
information provided at all levels of the response. The Cabinet Office
Communications Group may activate the News Co-ordination Centre (NCC). The
NCC supports the Lead
Government Department (LGD) in their communications management of the
overall incident. This UK Resilience website forms part of the NCC
operation and carries information for local responders, while the Preparing
for Emergencies website has information for the general public.
Key Documents
You should refer to:
Key Links
Training
-
The Emergency Planning College
(EPC) [External website] is the leading provider
of training for emergency preparedness, attracting delegates with
responsibility for preventing, planning for, responding to or recovering
from a major incident. The EPC runs these courses on the care of people
as well as other aspects of civil protection:
Other Documents
You may also wish to refer to:
Other Links
You may also wish to refer to:
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