What can NGOs learn from Haiti media coverage?

There may have been some criticism of NGOs for jostling for their place in the media scrum, but the truth is that when a disaster of this scale dominates the news agenda, it is important to be in the hustle.

Some NGOs are seasoned professionals and always seem to be quoted in the press so what can we learn from these well oiled media machines?

Move Quickly
The news media is a fast paced environment where information and updates are expected as they happen. To keep up with this NGOs need to be able to work at the same speed. The first few days of a disaster is when there is going to be most coverage and when NGOs have the chance to put themselves at the forefront of the discussion.

Have a voice
What does your organisation think? Where do they stand on the important issues raised? The NGOs that get the most media coverage are those that have a voice – that aren’t afraid to speak up and give their opinion. In the Haiti debate there was a lot of coverage of orphans being shipped out the country for adoption. The likes of Save The Children waded in to speak out against the move and therefore were given coverage in the media.

Make People Available
What the media want in these kinds of situation is people on the ground – people who have experienced the devastation first hand and can talk about it. NGOs are at the forefront of the disaster and therefore well placed to provide this kind of comment.

Think Multimedia
Remember, the media is not only about what is said - a picture paints a thousand words. In disaster situations NGOs are often in areas that the media can’t reach. By providing video footage, audio clips and photos NGOs can make themselves indispensable.