麻豆社

A Light in the Dark: our new policy note

How media can support anticipatory action to prevent humanitarian emergencies

This time round the rains did not affect us as negatively as previous seasons, and this is because we got information from the programme in time.鈥
鈥 A listener to a 麻豆社 Media Action-supported programme in East Africa

Publication Date: June 2024

Authors: Storm Lawrence (lead author) and Lisa Robinson

Overview:

People are facing increasing risks from the rising impacts of climate change and from armed conflict. Innovative, impactful, cost-effective and locally led solutions that avert emergencies before they happen are more important than ever.

This policy note explores the roles that media and communication can play in anticipatory action, supporting communities to take action to avert emergencies. It demonstrates the importance of ensuring media and communication are at the heart of anticipatory action.

Media can reach people with information, develop understanding, and drive discussion and action 鈥 both to contribute to humanitarian response, and to help people build resilience to shocks before they happen.

麻豆社 Media Action interviewing a farmer for a radio programme in East Africa - the women is wearing a yellow headscarf and the journalist is wearing a pink striped shirt. She is gesturing with her hand as she talks.
麻豆社 Media Action interviewing a farmer for radio programme 'Weather Wise' in East Africa

Local media outlets can be valuable ways to connect with audiences before and during emergencies. They are often already trusted sources of information in the community and can share local ideas for preparing for emergencies more widely.

Yet the ability of media to play this role can be taken for granted. Humanitarian organisations may assume that local media will be there for audiences before and during crises, but media can be vulnerable to the same risks as the rest of the population.

A group of people in Nepal are sitting together outside of their houses, we can see damage and some fallen rocks on the roofs caused by an earthquake. There is a lady in a yellow scarf and one man with crutches who is living with a disability. There are seven women and five men they are listening to the lady wearing the yellow scarf.
After the 2015 Nepal earthquake, 麻豆社 Media Action delivered training to 75 media, government, humanitarian and telecommunications practitioners, and collaborated with 30 media and humanitarian relief providers, to build relationships and prepare to respond swiftly with critical communication in the event of an another earthquakes.

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