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Release Date: 05/11/04 00:00:00
Interactive Workshops Provide Tools and Contacts for Accurate and Timely Event Reporting
For Immediate Release
Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
May 11, 2004
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will work with the National Academies to host a series of interactive workshops on the crucial role of the media in terrorism response. The series, entitled "News and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis," will be held in ten locations across the country.
"These workshops will play a key role in the Department's efforts to provide journalists and state and local public information officials with the tools and contacts needed to report complicated, but life saving information in the event of a terrorist attack," said Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. "The National Academies' long history of scientific, engineering, and medical expertise will enable us to provide workshop participants with facts on a variety of complex threats and appropriate protective measures."
The workshop series will feature an interactive table-top terrorist scenario involving government officials, members of the media, and technical experts. This terrorism exercise is designed to vividly bring to the forefront the many challenges faced by all of these groups during a crisis in getting accurate and timely information to the public. In addition to the scenario, the National Academies will provide straightforward information on weapons of mass destruction including a series of fact sheets on specific terrorist threats as well as a listing of experts that can provide reliable information quickly in a time of crisis.
"We hope these workshops will help all involved develop strategies for dealing with unprecedented terrorist events, and create an instant pool of trusted experts to be called upon," said National Academy of Engineering President Dr. Wm. A. Wulf. "The media is often blamed for sensationalizing. But armed with accurate information, presented well, these overlooked first responders can serve to calm the public, promote rational reactions, and save lives."
The National Academies brings together committees of experts in all areas of scientific and technological endeavor to address critical national issues and give independent advice to the federal government and the public. The National Academies is comprised of the National Academy of Sciences, The National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.
While the schedule of dates and locations may change based on breaking news and other factors, the tentative series schedule is as follows:
On June 20, 2003 the Department of Homeland Security and the National Academies joined with the Potomac Conference of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Radio-Television News Directors Association to host "Media and the First Response" in Washington, DC. This first-ever working session between the media and government information officials was designed to provide a better understanding of the challenges of terrorism response and reporting. The program served as a model for the workshop series announced today.
For further information please contact Kristin Gossel at the Department of Homeland Security at 202-282-8010 or kristin.gossel@dhs.gov or Randy Atkins at the National Academies at 202-334-1508 or atkins@nae.edu.
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This page was last modified on 05/11/04 00:00:00