United Kingdom

[GB] First Ever Seminar Discussing Working with the Media during Disasters

IRIS 1998-7:1/29

David Goldberg

deeJgee Research/Consultancy

Meeting at the UK Home Office Emergency Planning College, Government officials from 12 EU States and representatives from the emergency services and the media discussed the "best practice when working with the media during a civil emergency or disaster". As a result, the European Commission will be presented with a proposal for a European working-group to be established to develop guidelines on the best ways for the emergency services and the media to work together during events such as the flooding in Poland, the Spanish flash floods or the evacuation from Aintree race track. Most recently, there has been the German rail disaster, attended by 1600 journalists. The seminar discussed the need to balance the media's legitimate right to inform the public accurately, thus enhancing public safety, and the need to avoid any mishandling of the news or hampering rescue operations.