The Role of Media Packets in Public Information and Education

Wildland fires consume public attention due to their potential to harm life and property. Fires burning close to homes can produce such intense heat that the homes are damaged. Smoke from a fire can ruin property, generate a bad smell, and deposit ashes capable of affecting human health. Thick smoke may also provide driving or flying hazards.

Because of these unwanted risks, supplemented by the pervasive Smokey Bear fire prevention messages, many citizens perceive wildland fires as being "bad" and therefore advocate suppressing all fire, including prescribed burning. In view of the fact that prescribed burning is necessary in many settings to provide for healthy ecosystems and to prevent disastrous wildland fires by reducing fuel loads, a public information and education strategy is needed to inform the public about the differences between "good" prescribed burning and "bad" uncontrolled wildland fires.

Public information and education regarding prescribed fire is a form of risk communication. Research in the area of risk communication has shown that people often hold unrealistic perspectives and demonstrate unreasonable behaviors toward environmental hazards such as wildland fires. Individual opposition to prescribed burns often occurs due to the rational or irrational perception of the risks involved.

Peter Sandman (1993) has developed the idea that "Risk = Hazard + Outrage." An outraged public tends to focus primarily on the sensational side of an issue, therefore the facts of a potentially hazardous situation are not processed clearly. Sandman has discovered that the public pays more attention to outrage than hazard, even when they know the difference, and that outraged people do not pay much attention to data providing the facts.

In order to reduce outrage in the case of prescribed burning, management professionals should truthfully acknowledge possible risks that could occur as a result of prescribed fires. Sandman (1993) states, "The only way to build credibility is to acknowledge problems dramatically enough that you catch the public's attention." The author advises that public concerns should be brought out into the open. The author reports that it is the concerns that stakeholders are not voicing that cause the most problems for management. Sandman then goes on to suggest concerns be addressed subtly, such as: "I wonder if anyone is worried about Û" or "I talked with a neighbor last week who was worried about Û".

Media relations can be an important part of a public information and education strategy to relieve a potential negative reaction and present the facts of prescribed burning. Media relations can be thought of as fostering professional relationships with journalists and other media personnel. These relationships are very beneficial when seeking to inform the public about an upcoming prescribed burn or a wildland fire in progress. The media are very important and accepted lines of communication to the public. Reaching out to journalists and educating them at the start may result in factual and enlightened reporting in the event of an unpopular prescribed burn.

Before attempting to build these relationships, it is best to create a media relations plan. Steps in a media relations plan include:

1. determining your overall media goals,
2. determining the tone and content of the message(s) to be sent, and
3. determining the groups of people you want to reach through the media. For example, is your media target the community at large? Or, do you prefer to reach a subset of the community?

Once you have an idea of your organization's identity and what information you want your public to understand, it is time to contact the appropriate media.

To identify those journalists and others who might have an interest in your story, read the newspapers, listen to your radio stations, and browse through locally published magazines and newsletters. You may also want to research the reference books containing information on media outlets, the audience size, and contact information. These references include Bacon's Publicity Checker, Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, BPI Media Services, Writer's Market, Gebbie Press, and the Broadcasting & Cable Marketplace. You might also explore media connections through local civic organizations that have expressed interest in wildland fire management activities.

Once you have identified probable contacts, the best way to communicate with these individuals is through face-to-face meetings. Media press releases, press conferences, and media (press) kits should follow. Media professionals are often very busy and have to make choices about the stories they tell based on competing priorities. Therefore, be persistent, yet considerate in your contact. When speaking with your media contact, it will often be helpful to suggest different angles the story may take. Even if they are unable to use your story immediately, suggest using it in the future. When sending out materials to these individuals, always remember to provide contact information, including a name, phone number, and address.

Media kits are a very useful information tool to use in advance of fire seasons when educating a public about prescribed burning or when the wildland fire seasons occur. A media kit is a packet of various informative materials that is given to the press for them to use when creating and telling your story. It usually consists of informational papers held within a pocket folder, and can be either glossy or simple, as long as it is attention-getting and the material is presented in an attractive, informative style. Ease of use, basic facts (even bulleted) and focused messages are the hallmarks of a good kit.

The contents of the media kit you provide will depend on your audience and the event you want to describe. For example, during times of prescribed burning you may want to educate the affected public about the need for fire and the benefit it will bring to the local ecosystem. In this event, the Communicator's Guide to Wildland Fire contains several brief, informative pieces you could include concerning the role of prescribed fire in wildland fire management, including information on fire-dependent ecosystems and the use of wildland fire as a tool for stewardship, among others.

In general, media kits contain the following basic information produced either through your own organization or one specializing in wildland fire management:

• A business card with the name of a contact person and where he or she can be reached, both during and after business hours.
• A background sheet with the vision and mission of the organization, and a description of its role in wildland fire management. If your organization has any promotional items, such as stickers or bookmarks, include them.
• A brochure providing a visual description of the local ecosystem including maps. The information you provide may include a description of the ecosystem, and the ecological and economic benefits it provides the community. Many individuals may not have visited the area and may not be familiar with its value.
• A question and answer sheet regarding prescribed fire. Include information describing what a prescribed fire is, who will be conducting it, and how the burn will be carried out in that particular area. Attach success stories of recent prescribed burns. Provide the names of contact persons and directions on how and when to reach them with questions.
• Press clippings of previous coverage (only two of the best stories are needed).
• A brochure regarding the use of fire in the ecosystem.
• One or more brochures regarding fire safety.
• Many educators have created lesson plans and activities to teach youth about fire and prescribed burning. Include two or three that are related to your ecosystem.
• Standard black and white photos, if available.
• Video clips of fire scenes for television.
• Other special communication pieces relevant to your ecosystem.

The key to creating a media kit is to know your audience, and what they need to know. Also know your media outlet, reporters, their objectives, the angle on resource management stories they often take, and the socio-political context that will frame the media's story.

If your budget allows, you may choose to include a video or color slides of prescribed burning in the ecosystem, with a written accompaniment. (If a video is used, remember that there is a need for written media releases.) In the event that you should include some of these larger items, you might wish to use a small, fitted box to hold your materials rather than using pocket folders. Again, it is important that the materials be arranged neatly and in such a way that the user can easily find the information needed.

Developing media relations and providing useful media kits can be an excellent way to build support for prescribed burning and wildland fire management in your community. And, should a wildland fire occur, any media support you have established prior to this time will now be helpful in getting necessary safety information to the public, as well as providing for public understanding of fire management. In the event of an emergency, a media kit with complete information will allow you to remain focused on containing the wildland fire, while providing the press with correct information.

References

Sandman, P.M. 1993. Responding to Community Outrage: Strategies for Effective Risk Communication. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Author: Elizabeth Hall