Orange on the scene

The SES Media Officer Program: Goodin, L., and O Neill, P. (2003) Presented at the Australian Disaster Conference, Canberra, 2003

One of the ongoing challenges in public education is how to manage the sudden -- even overwhelming -- media interest that is an inevitable part of a community crisis. The New South Wales (NSW) State Emergency Service (SES) has developed an approach that puts them a jump ahead in getting the right information to the public at the right time. This paper examines the use of community-based media officers in the context of a structured media-management plan. It examines the rationale for appointing local-level media officers; the strengths and drawbacks of such an approach; the policies, training, procedures and resources that are part of its implementation; and what's next for the SES media officers' program.

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