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'News and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis' Workshop To Be Held Jan. 28 in St. Louis

CONTACT: Jon Ebinger, 202.467.5250, or jon@rtdnf.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 20, 2010

WASHINGTON—The latest in a nationwide series of “News and Terrorism: Communicating in a Crisis” workshops will take place from 9:30am to 4pm on Thursday, January 28, 2010, in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Sheraton City Center Hotel, located at 400 South 14th Street.

The workshops are produced by the Radio Television Digital News Foundation, in association with the National Academies and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The workshops are designed to examine communication during an emergency—what works and what needs work—as well as to provide scientific background information on potential terrorist threats and guidance on how journalists and public information officers can better prepare in the likelihood of a real world crisis.

Each workshop features a scenario exercise, tailored for each location, in which a small group of journalists, government officials and professional experts react to a simulated terrorist incident—chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear. The workshops also include useful scientific information, advice on protective measures and disaster planning guidance.

Moderating the workshop will be Aaron Brown, the anchor for the PBS program “Wide Angle” and the Walter Cronkite Professor of Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. 

The ten panelists for the scenario exercise are John Butler, the news director for KMOX/CBS; Gary Christmann, the Commissioner for the City of St. Louis Emergency Management Agency; Paul Fennewald, Homeland Security Coordinator for the Missouri Office of Homeland Security; Pat Gauen, the public safety editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Susan Langhorst, the radiation safety officer for Washington University; Maxwell Marker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the St. Louis office of the FBI; Debbie Mays, the Director for Emergency Preparedness for BJC HealthCare; Wayne Parent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Audrey Prywitch, the news director for KTVI/KPLR; and Scott Warren, the business continuity manager for Wells Fargo Advisors.

The National Academies comprises four organizations: the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. The Department of Homeland Security was formed in 2003 to prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and respond to threats and hazards to the nation. RTDNF provides training programs, seminars, scholarship support and research in areas of critical concern to electronic news professionals.

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 produce “Media and the First Response” in Washington. This first-ever working session among the media, government information officials, and science and technology experts was designed to provide a better understanding of the challenges of terrorism response and reporting. The program served as a model for the current workshop series.

NOTE:  The workshops are free of charge, and a reservation can be made by clicking here.
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