Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

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February 2008                                                                                              Volume 14 - Number 1

Communications in Disaster...

CNN's i report
By Justin T Solobay

i report is a concept embraced by the news media giant CNN which promotes amateurs to get out their camera phones or other personal video capturing devices and start recording and reporting. i reporters are encouraged to capture and comment wherever and on whatever it is they desire to share with the world. Primarily, i reporters document first hand accounts of significant news events as they occur. And perhaps voice over or follow the footage with their own personal commentary on the condition as it pertains, relative to them. Users submit their broadcast for a quick content and language scrub by the CNN staff. Then i reporters, along with the remainder of the internet, are able to view the broadcast via the CNN web page.

http://edition.cnn.com/exchange/

One merely has to peruse the i report page on CNN.com and an appreciation for the scope of topics covered can rapidly be perceived. However, as insightful and as inspiring as it is for a third grade class to comment on the basic construct and status of the 2008 United States presidential primary election, there are perhaps some other noteworthy applications of i report. Especially in regards to how it is utilized during emergencies and other crises. With the rapid point and shoot recording ability most Americans boast through their cell phones and PDA’s, i report has found unbelievable coverage of and reports on disasters and other large scale emergencies as they occur and even unfold. More often than not, from either localized incidents to catastrophes catching the eye of the national news media networks, i reporters provide images that far prologue the coverage gathered by any local or national news outlet.

Most recently the CNN i report assumed another function aside from its intended purpose. Not only were civilians giving first hand accounts from the front lines during the California wildfires, but people also choose to utilize the system as a means of communicating with family and friends, passing along critical messages as to the safety and status of those in harms way. In addition to the ground breaking footage and emergency messages sent to family and loved ones, i report also provide a perspective as to what is important, news wise, to everyday Americans today.  

As the amateur news outlet grows in size and popularity, it will be interesting to observe the public affairs affects that the immediate return on the status and outplay of a situation will have in regards to messages received from government authorities during times of crisis.