Readiness Communications Initiative

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Contents 1 Initiative for Community Media and Readiness Communications 1.1 Background 1.2 Benchmarks 1.3 Courses taught 1.4 Selected Research and Publications 1.5 Collaborative Biosecurity and Readiness Research Presented at K-State: Readiness Communications Conference 11/06 1.5.1 Research Session 1: Researching Media Preparedness and Disaster Coverage 1.5.2 Research Session 2: Media Coverage of Hurricanes, Tsunamis, and Biological Outbreaks 1.5.3 Research Session 3: Media and the Personal Face of Tragedy 1.6 Grants 1.7 Future Goals 1.7.1 Teaching 1.7.2 Outreach 1.7.3 Research 1.7.4 Increased Involvement 1.7.5 Possible Benefits

[edit] Initiative for Community Media and Readiness Communications

[edit] Background

K-State’s Vision: To be recognized as one of the premier land-grant universities with a national and international reputation in many fields, including food safety and security, food science and nutrition, military history and security studies, the biological sciences, engineering, agriculture in general and plant genetics in particular, architecture, and education (from the State of the University Address, 9/29/06).

The A.Q. Miller School and the Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media are on the cutting edge of this vision by training students and public communicators in readiness and crisis communication in a converged media environment to inform citizens, protect resources and save lives. Faculty members are researching and teaching a variety of related topics including the communications of military operations, AIDS prevention communication campaigns, health communications, and food safety.

[edit] Benchmarks

• Workshop on readiness communication (2004)
• Hurricane Katrina communications grant (2005)
• Visual Journalism Project, Ft. Riley (2006)
• Advanced Reporting war games simulation, Ft. Riley (2006)
• Reporting backpack units purchased (2006)
• McCormick Foundation Grant for readiness conference (2006)
• KPA Panel on readiness communications (2007)
• Convergence readiness reporting class (2007)
• Readiness Conference Proceedings published (2007)
• Greensburg, Kansas Initiative to rebuild community media (2007)

[edit] Courses taught

• MC241: Editing and Design
• MC341: Advanced Editing and Publication Design
• MC535: Community Media
• MC589: Convergence Reporting: Covering Biosecurity, Food Safety and the Military
• MC690: Reporting Food Safety
• MC690: Visual Journalism
• MC712: Environmental Communications
• MC740: Risk Communication
• MC645: Public Relations Campaigns

[edit] Selected Research and Publications

• An, Soontae (forthcoming). “Antidepressant Direct-to-Consumer Advertising and Social Perception on the Prevalence of Depression: Application of the Availability Heuristic,” Journal of Health Communication.

• An, Soontae (2007). “Attitude Toward Direct-to-Consumer Advertising and Drug Inquiry Intention: The Moderating Role of Perceived Knowledge,” Journal of Health Communication, 12, 567-580.

• Smethers, J. S., B. Bressers, L. Harvey, A Willard, and G. Freeland. (in press). “No Union in Humboldt, Kansas: Readers’ Perception of Loss When a Community Loses Its Newspaper,” Newspaper Research Journal.

• Bressers, B. & Meeds, R. (May 2007). “Newspapers and Their Online Editions: Factors That Influence Successful Integration,” Web Journal of Communication Research, 10.

• Bressers, B., 2006. “Promise and Reality: The Integration of Print and Online Versions of Major Metropolitan Newspapers,” The International Journal on Media Management, 8(3): 134-145.

• Bressers, B. 2005. “Staff, Time, Space Constraints Limit Coverage of Children’s Health Issues,” Newspaper Research Journal, 26 (2,3): 124-132.

• Brock, F. “Health Care on Less Than You Think: The New York Times Guide to Getting Affordable Coverage,” (Henry Holt/Times Books, 2006).

• Gordon, J. C., Harrington, L. M., Paul, B. K. & Pellegrin, P. J. (2007, under review). “Social Vulnerability And The Urban Underclass Effect Among Residents of Southeast Louisiana and Orleans Parish,” in Southern Communication Journal.

• Boone, K., Penner, K. P., Gordon, J. C., Remig, K., Harvey, L. & Clark, T. (2005). “Common Themes of Safe Food-Handling Behavior Among Mature Adults,” Food Protection Trends 25 (9), 706-711.

• Park, G. & Gordon, J. C. (2005). “Raising Student Reporter Awareness About Domestic Violence Influences Story Content,” Newspaper Research Journal, 26 (2 &3), 113-118.

• Gordon, J. C., Raacke, J., Penner, K. P., Boone, K., Friel, B., & Remig, V. M.(2004). “Risk Perception, Attitude, Knowledge and Safe Food Handling Behavior Among Those 65 Years and Older,” Proceedings of the Association for International Agricultural Extension Education, Ireland, 20, 724-734.

• Gordon, J. C. (2003). “Risk Communication and Foodborne Illness: Message Sponsorship and Attempts to Stimulate Perceptions of Risk,” Risk Analysis, 23 (6), 1287-1296.

• Gordon, J.C. (2002). “Beyond knowledge: Guidelines for Effective Health Promotion Messages,” Journal of Extension, 40 (6). Available at http://www.joe.org/joe/2002december/a7.shtml

• Harrington, L. M., Gordon, J. C., & Paul, B. K. (2006). “Southeastern Louisiana Evacuation/Nonevacuation for Hurricane Katrina,” In Natural Hazard Center (Ed.) “Learning from Catastrophe: Quick Response Research in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina,” (pp.327-351). Natural Hazards Center Special Publication No. 40.

• Gordon J. C., Willard, A. M. (2006). “Cell Phones as a Risk Communication Tool: An Exploratory Study of Orleans Parish Residents Following Hurricane Katrina,”[Abstract]. Society of Risk Analysis, 74.

• Gordon J. C., Harrington, L. B., & Paul, B. K. (2006). “Race, Information Sources, and Evacuation Behaviors Among Southeast Louisiana Residents for Hurricane Katrina,” [Abstract]. Society of Risk Analysis, 74.

• Gordon J. C., Boone, K. M., Penner, K. P., & Remig V. M. (2004). “Risk perception, Attitudes, and Knowledge as Predictors of Preventive Health Behaviors in the Case of Foodborne Illness Among Those 65 and Older,” [Abstract]. Society of Risk Analysis, 72.

• Gordon, J. C., Raacke, J., Penner, K. P., Boone, K., Friel, B., & Remig, V. M.(2004). “Risk perception, Attitudes, and Knowledge as Predictors of Preventive Health Behaviors in the Case of Foodborne Illness Among Those 65 and Older,” [Abstract]. Institute of Food Technologist. Available at http://ift.confex.com/ift/2004/techprogram/paper_24530.htm.

• Gordon, J. C., Penner, K. P., Friel, B., Raacke, J., Boone, K. M., & Remig, V. M. (2004). “Risk perception, Attitudes, and Knowledge as Predictors of Preventive Health Behaviors in the Case of Foodborne Illness Among Those 65 and Older,” [Abstract] Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 11 (2), 81.

• Gordon, J. C., & Raacke, J. D. (2003). “Risk Perceptions of Food-Related Hazards,” [Abstract]. Society of Risk Analysis, 71.

• Muturi, Nancy. “HIV/AIDS Communication in the Caribbean.” In D'Silva, Margaret Usha (Ed). HIV/AIDS and Health Communication (Forthcoming, 2007).

• Muturi, Nancy. “Sexual Violence and Women’s Reproductive Health in Jamaica.” In Roberts D. and Reddock, R (Eds.), Gender, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS: The Caribbean and Beyond, (Forthcoming 2007)

• Muturi, Nancy (2006). “Access and Use of ICTs Among Women in Jamaica.” In Tauth Eileen M. (Ed). Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology. Hershey, Idea Group Inc. (pp.1-6)

• Muturi, Nancy (2005). “Gender, ICTs and Health in the Caribbean.” In Cummings, Sarah, Henk van Dam, and Minke Valk, (Eds.) Gender and ICTs in Rural Development. A Global Source Book, Gender, Society & Development series, no. 8. (pp.61-74), KIT Netherlands

[edit] Collaborative Biosecurity and Readiness Research Presented at K-State: Readiness Communications Conference 11/06

[edit] Research Session 1: Researching Media Preparedness and Disaster Coverage

• Preparedness Communication as an Emerging Scholarly Field: A Content Analysis of Preparedness Research: William Evans, University of Alabama

• Uncertainty and Comparability Factors in Bioterrorism Coverage: Kristen Alley Swain, University of Kansas

• Journalists as Participants in Preparedness Exercises: Jennifer Burelson Mackay, Lori Herring, William Evans, Andrew C. Rucks, University of Alabama

• Cellphone Journalists: An Analysis of a Growing Trend and the Challenges They Pose to Professional Journalists and Journalism Educators: Anthony Moretti, Point Park University

[edit] Research Session 2: Media Coverage of Hurricanes, Tsunamis, and Biological Outbreaks

• Slow vs. Fast Developing Disasters: Lessons from Mauritius and the Indian Ocean Tsunami: Stephen D. Perry, Illinois State University

• Communicating Katrina: A Resilient Media: Sonya Duhe’, University of South Carolina

• U.S. Media Coverage of the Global Threat of Avian Flu: Fair Warning or Unnecessary Alarmism: Matthew C. Sones, Georgia State University

[edit] Research Session 3: Media and the Personal Face of Tragedy

• The Personal Face of Tragedy: The Media & Employee Communication During Crisis: Barbara DeSanto, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

• Before the Next Disaster Strikes: Emergency Communications with Non-English Speaking Populations: Federico Subervi, Texas State University-San Marcos

• All Hands on Deck: Communications Roles and Responsibilities of Non-Traditional Front-Line Disaster Responders: Tracy A. Irani, Ricky W. Telg, Nick T. Place, and Courtney Meyers, University of Florida, and Mark Kistler, North Carolina State University

[edit] Grants

• National Institute of Mental Health (Co-Principal Investigator), “The Effects of Direct-to-Consumer Antidepressant Prescription Drug Advertising,” with Soontae An, $73,000 (pending).

• Community Service Learning grant to "Design and Implement communication campaigns on Ecosystems health and Stormwater Management." WaterLink Minigrants awarded to Nancy Muturi, $15,000. 2006-2007

• “Newspaper Coverage of Children’s Health Issues: An Assessment of Computer-Mediated News Releases for Improving Local Newspaper Coverage,” Awarded by the Kansas Health Foundation, $18,500. 2004-2005.

• “Newspaper Coverage of Children’s Health Issues: Internal Barriers and External Solutions,” $5,000, 2003-2004. Grant supported graduate student assistance with an academic research project, “Newspaper Coverage of Children’s Health Issues: Editors’ Perceptions of Internal Barriers and External Solutions.” The grant was awarded following a three-semester partnership with the Kansas Health Foundation during which undergraduate classes produced in-depth stories on children’s health issues that were published in Kansas newspapers.

• “Factors Influencing the Integration of Print and Online Newspapers,” Competitive award from the Kansas State University Small Research Grant (USRG) program, $1,330. Surveyed U.S. major metropolitan newspapers as phase one of a two-phrase project designed to examine factors hypothesized to influence the level and success of integration between traditional newspapers and their new media counterparts, 2003.

• “The Problem of Access to Health Care in Rural Communities: A Kansas Public Television Program,” Competitive award from The Kaiser Foundation/National Press Foundation, $10,000. Developed five-part series on rural health care issues for public television. Aired December 2000-January 2001. Co-principal investigator with L. Bergen and T. Grimes.

• Pending: grant to develop a Community Media Center in Greensburg, Kansas, the town devastated by a tornado on May 4, 2007. Several Miller School faculty, along with other K-State faculty members, are pursuing funding to create such a Center, to purchase laptops for residents and to help get wireless access for the community.

[edit] Future Goals

[edit] Teaching

• Expand multi-media production training opportunities through construction of a converged multi-media laboratory, where students can create and distribute multi-media packages developed for readiness and crisis responses to biosecurity issues
• Develop a collaborative graduate certificate in readiness communication
• Couple the graduate certificate with an on-line master’s degree
• Develop recruiting pipelines and youth programs through the Journalism Education Association and Kansas Scholastic Press Association projects
• Develop internship and shadowing programs for undergraduate students in readiness communication settings

[edit] Outreach

• A Web site dark pages coordinator to work with risk organizations such as power plants, hospitals, government agencies, etc. to create websites for readiness and preparedness
• Expand multi-media production facilities in a converged multi-media laboratory to further enhance our ability to distribute multi-media packages developed for readiness and crisis responses to biosecurity issues

[edit] Research

• Evaluating the success of the projects
• Generating independent projects from scholars on topics related to risk, health and readiness communication issues
• Seeking funding to sponsor collaborative research on subjects such as the role of media in risk and crisis communications, how media inform and influence communities, newsroom leadership styles in crisis situations, and public relations strategies in risk and crisis situations

[edit] Increased Involvement

• Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media
• Journalism Education Association
• Online Journal of Rural Research and Policy
• Knight News Challenge Cohort
• Sequences reps
• Graduate Program
• Student Media

[edit] Possible Benefits

• Visibility in the new formation of the ECC
• Course release time
• Graduate assistants
• Research funding
• More university centrality
• Growth potential
• Product differentiation