Media in the face of disasters
To bolster media institutions to operate effectively during disasters and to support society's ability to withstand and recover from disasters, UNESCO is developing a Model Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan for Media Institutions, in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). This tool aims to help media develop or improve their own disaster preparedness and response strategies - ensuring they are institutionally prepared to cope with emergencies and can better contribute to strengthening community resilience through their work.
Media on the frontlines of disasters
The scale and impact of disasters are growing in recent years. In 2024 alone, disaster-related overall losses globally reached an estimated 320 billion USD, compared to 250 billion USD in 2023, and behind these figures lie far-reaching human, social, and developmental consequences. Disasters interrupt services, strain institutions, and test societies' ability to function in emergency situations, where access to reliable and timely information is all the more vital.
Media institutions, including broadcast, print, and digital media, perform an integral function throughout a disaster management cycle. In calm times, they raise public awareness of threats and shed light on risks, while holding the powerful to account. When disasters strike, media are instrumental to early warning dissemination and fostering public engagement in response and recovery processes. Their functions in disaster risk reduction (DRR) are underscored in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Nevertheless, many media remain vulnerable to the very disruptions they have to report on. Infrastructure may be damaged, operations interrupted, and staff placed at risk. Gaps in technical capacity, contingency planning, internal editorial policies and programming strategies for effective disaster reporting are frequently observed in media development activities that UNESCO has been carrying out across regions since 2023.
The state of media readiness
To assist media in reinforcing their institutional strategies for disaster preparedness and response, UNESCO and ABU set out to develop a Model Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan for Media Institutions, first of its kind in this area. The process began in 2024 with a survey aimed at assessing the current state of disaster management strategies among media and identifying related gaps and needs. Responses were received from some 60 media institutions across all regions, including national public broadcasters, community media, and private media.
The findings revealed that 40% of respondents lacked Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or comprehensive disaster response plans, despite significant investment in this field over the last decade. Although many media institutions have some disaster response mechanisms, a sizable number of respondents still lack proper preparedness strategies.
While most media outlets reported broadcasting official emergency or disaster information via television or radio, barely half of them include such information on their websites consistently, and 56.1% ensured that emergency updates are shared on their social media platforms. Some media found it difficult to effectively disseminate the official information they receive, for example because it is not presented in a quickly usable format or is too technical.
Certain editorial policies for emergencies are in place among many responding media, such as fact-checking (87.8%) and interview with and portrayal of disaster survivors (68.3%). However, policies about verification of user-generated content (46.3%) are less present and only 31.7% of media institutions have policies in place to produce accessible content.
Regarding institutional commitment and investment, 55% of the respondents indicated their outlets have not allocated dedicated financial and human resources to prepare for emergency and disaster situations. Periodic disaster preparedness training is not yet a regular part of operations. Just 26% of respondents reported participating in drills organized by national disaster management authorities, 22% in evacuation drills for staff, and 18% in disaster coverage training.
Inclusivity and accessibility also emerged as areas needing significant improvement, with persistent gaps in efforts to leave no one behind. While 41.5% of respondents shared that they actively sought out women experts and sources for disaster coverage, 22% do not or rarely do so. In terms of gender composition of teams that go to the field to report on disasters, 66.7% indicated a goal of gender parity, yet 28.3% said their teams remain predominantly male. 65.2% of the responding media indicated not having specific strategies to reach populations living in remote rural areas in times of emergencies.
In addition, only 27.5% reported using digital or AI tools in disaster coverage or environmental reporting, which highlights a significant lag in digital integration, while 65.5% see a potential in leveraging these tools to enhance disaster reporting but do not know which ones and how to use them. Respondents also indicated collaborations with other media outlets in climate and disaster reporting, such as content sharing agreements (42.5%), co-production projects (32.5%), and joint reporting and investigations (27.5%), while 30% do not have such collaboration currently but see the benefits.
Preliminary findings of the study were shared at the 8th ABU Media Summit on Climate Action and Disaster Prevention, held in Indonesia, in August 2024.
Insights from media and disaster management stakeholders
Following the survey, key informant interviews were carried out with national and international disaster management stakeholders, including representatives of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), national meteorological services and disaster management agencies. Additional in-depth consultations and focus group discussions were held with a wide range of public, commercial, and community media from over 30 countries in disaster-prone areas. Particular attention was given to the Asia-Pacific region, one of the most exposed and vulnerable to disasters. Throughout the discussions, participants raised a range of concerns and pathways.
Consulted stakeholders stressed the need for stronger coordination between media and disaster management and meteorological authorities. Integrating all types of media, including private and community outlets, into national emergency systems was thus considered essential. More consistent collaboration with disaster relief organizations is also encouraged. The perceived lack of profitability in content related to disaster prevention and risk reduction was underlined as a significant barrier for media to work on DRR beyond disseminating early warnings.
Sustaining disaster preparedness and response practices within media institutions was a topic frequently brought up during the conversations. Experts made recommendations such as assigning responsibilities to specific positions rather than individuals. After highlighting the high staff turnover in the media sector and the traditional focus on individual training, they called for continuous and frequently repeated training in disaster reporting, climate coverage, and environmental issues, to maintain effectiveness.
The visibility and representation of vulnerable groups was another area of concern. Persons with disabilities, women, and children, are often left out in disaster communication. Interviewees stressed the importance of addressing this issue as part of national development efforts, rather than solely relying on international projects. Regarding language accessibility, while official emergency alerts are often translated in multilingual countries, producing DRR media content in several languages is often not financially viable. Regular training for local media working in local languages was then suggested as a more cost-effective approach to conveying key messages across various languages.
Community radio was widely acknowledged as a vital channel for rural and vulnerable populations. Integrating disaster preparedness and response plans into these outlets was considered crucial. However, community media, especially in areas with limited technology or connectivity, face numerous challenges regarding technical capacity and resources.
Finally, interviewees stressed the importance of institutionalizing disaster risk management within media organizations. Building institutional capacity, rather than relying on certain knowledgeable staff members or ad hoc projects, was seen as the most sustainable way forward to strengthen the contribution of media to disaster preparedness and response.
Crafting a structured framework
The Model Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan for Media Institutions is devised to address identified needs and gaps, incorporating recommendations from experts and practitioners. It provides a structured framework and step-by-step guidance to media on developing a comprehensive and tailored plan to prepare for and respond to disasters across all operational and editorial areas. This resource is designed to suit different national and local contexts, and for both large national broadcasters and small local media, whether broadcast, print or digital.
In addition to the research and consultations carried out that informed the development process, the tool draws on existing exemplary institutional plans and practices of media, such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's National Emergency Broadcasting Plan, the Fiji Strategic Emergency and DRR Plan of the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation, and the NHK Bosai Program.
The tool is currently undergoing peer review, with its launch planned for the second half of 2025.