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Syllabus & Disclosure
COM 498/598: Disaster Communication
Spring 2014
Location & Meeting times –TTH 4:30 – 5:45 PM, Winston 205
David M. Berube (burrrr-ruby), Ph.D., Instructor of record
Prof., Communication (call me Dr. Berube).
drdmberube@gmail.com
(O) 919.515.0410
Office: Hunt 5143
Mailbox: Campus Box 7565
Office hours: Tues & Thurs 1-3 PM and by appointment.
(I am on campus a lot).
Course information: http://moodle.wolfware.ncsu.edu/
REQUIRED TEXTS
Time. (2011). Nature's Extremes: Inside the Great Natural Disasters That Shape Life on
Earth. NY: Time. ISBN-10: 1-60320-222-0 (Only $24.95 at Amazon.com).
REQUIRED ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS (on Moodle)
Brotzge, J. & Donner, W. (2013). The tornado warning process: A review of current
research, challenges, and opportunities. Journal of the American Meteorological Society.
November, 1715-1733.
Clerveaux, V., Spence, B. & Katada, T. (2010). Promoting disaster awareness in
multicultural societies: The DAG approach. Disaster prevention and Management. 19(2).
199-218.
Eisenman, D. P., et al. (2007). Disaster planning and risk communication with vulnerable
communities: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. American Journal of Public Health.
Supplement 1. 97:S1. S109-S115.
Eshghi, K. & Larson, RC. (2008). Disasters: lessons from the past 105 years. Disaster
Prevention and Management. 17(1). 62-82.
Greene, G. et al. (2014). Differing community responses to similar public health threats: A
cross-disciplinary systematic literature review. Science of the Total Environment. 759-767.
Harley, CDG. (2011). Climate Change, Keystone Predation, and Biodiversity Loss. Science.
November 25. 334.
Hilfinger Messias, D. K., Barrington, C. & Lacy, E. (2012). Latino social network dynamics
and the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Disasters. 36(1). 101-121.
Hobson, K. & Niemeyer, S. (2011). Public responses to climate change: The role of
deliberation in building capacity for adaptive action. Global Environmental Change. 21. 957971.
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Kitcher, P. (2010). The Climate Change Debates. Science. 328. 4 June. 1230-1234.
Knuth, D. et al. (2013). Risk perception, experience, and objective risk: A cross-national
study with European emergency survivors. Risk Analysis. DOI: 10.1111/risa.12157.
Mercer, J. et al. (2010). Framework for integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge for
disaster risk reduction. Disaster. 34(1). 214-239.
Pawson, E. (2011). Environmental hazards and natural disasters. New Zealand Geographer.
67, 143-147.
Pineda-Solano, A. L., Carreto-Vazquez, H. H. & Mannan, M. S. (2013). The Fukushima
Daiichi accident and its impact on risk perception and risk communication. Chemical
Engineering Transactions. 31.
Randalls, S. (2011). Broadening debates on climate change ethics: Beyond carbon
calculation. The Geographical Journal. 177(2). June. 127-137.
Sonnett, J. (2010). Climates of risk: A field analysis of global climate change in US media
discourse, 1997-2004. Public Understanding of Science. 20(6). November. 698-716.
Tateno, S. & Yokohama, H. M. (2013). Public anxiety, trust, and the role of mediators in
communicating risk of exposure to low does radioation after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Plant explosion. Journal of Science Communication. 12(02). A03.
Veil, S. R., Buehner, T. & Palenchar, M. J. (2011). A work-in-process literature review:
Incorporating social media in risk and crisis communication. Journal of Contingences and
Crisis Communication. 19:2. June. 110-122.
Wachinger, G., et al. (2013). The risk perception paradox—Implications for governance and
communication of natural hazards. Risk Analysis. 33(6). 1049-1065.
Wheeler, S. (2011). A new conception of planning in the era of climate change. Berkeley
Planning Journal. 23(1). 18-26.
White, C. W. (2012). Design strategies: Twitter for teams and information exchange. In
Social Media, Crisis Communication, and Emergency Management: Leveraging Web 2.0
Technologies. Baco Raton, FL: CRC Press.
SCHEDULE
Readings assigned for that week’s class.
Date Topics Assignments
01/07 View “Mega-disasters” and discuss course. Read Esghi “Disasters: lessons from the
past 105 years.”
01/09 Public understanding of disasters: An introduction.
01/14 Public understanding of disasters: Affect and Availability Biases. Read Pawson
“Environmental hazards and natural disasters”. Reaction Paper #1 due 01/16.
01/16 Public understanding of disasters: Anchoring, Optimism and Affirmation Biases. Read
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Eisenman "Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. Reaction Paper #2 due 01/21.
01/21 Snowmegeddon.
01/23 Public understanding of disasters: Probability Neglect and Mini-Max Biases. Read
Hilfinger Messias “Latino social networks” Reaction Paper #3 due 01/28.
01/28 Snowmegeddon #2.
01/30 Watch “Katrina” Part 1. Lecture and Discussion on reporting hurricanes Read
Wachingters “The risk perception paradox” Reaction Paper #4 due 02/04.
02/04 Watch “Katrina” Part 2; Lecture and Discussion” Read Knuth “Risk perception,
experience and objective risk”. Reaction Paper #5 due 02/06.
02/06 Lecture and Discussion: Media Amplification: Radio and Television. Part 1. Read
Brotzge “Tornado warning process”. No Reaction Paper. MID-TERM RELEASED.
02/11 Lecture and Discussion: Media Amplification: Digital Media, Part 2.
02/13 MID-TERM DUE. Guest Speaker WRAL’s Nate Johnson on tornado reporting. Read
Tateno “Public anxiety, trust…” Reaction Paper #6 due 02/18.
02/18 Watch “Year of Tornadoes”. Read Greene “Differing community responses”. Reaction
Paper #7 due 02/20.
02/20 Watch “Japan’s Killer Quake”; Lecture and Discussion: Weather Amplifiers and
Attenuators.
02/25 Lecture and Discussion: Framing Japan’s Killer Quake. Read Pineda-Solano “The
Fukushima Daiichi accident”. Reaction Paper #8 due 02/27.
02/27 Watch 60 Minutes “Catastrophe”; Lecture and Discussion and discussion: challenges
of serial disasters. Reaction Paper #9 due 03/04.
03/04 Watch “Day After Tomorrow ” selections. Read Sonnett “Climates of risk: A field
analysis of global climate change in US media discourse, 1997–2004”. Reaction Paper #9
due 03/06.
03/06 Watch “A Inconvenient Truth” selections. Lecture and Discussion: Climate and Gore’s
Arguments. Read Kitcher “The Climate change debates.” and Wheeler “A new conception of
planning in the era of climate change”. Reaction Paper #10 &11 due 03/18.
03/11 No class – Spring break.
03/13 No class – Spring break.
03/18 Watch selections from “Six Degrees Could Change the World.” Lecture and discussion
on extreme messaging. Read Randalls “Broadening debates on climate change ethics:
Beyond carbon calculation.” Reaction Paper #12 due 03/20.
03/20 Lecture and Discussion: Climate and public understanding: A statistical analysis.
Read Harley “Climate Change, Keystone Predation, and Biodiversity Loss”. Reaction Paper
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#13 due 03/25.
03/25 Watch a second set of “An Inconvenient Truth selections. Lecture and Discussion:
Climate and public understanding: A media and policy analysis. Hobson “Public responses to
climate change: The role of deliberation in building capacity for adaptive action.”
03/27 Lecture and Discussion: Experiments in improving public risk perception. Read Veil “A
work-in-process: incorporating social media…” Response Paper 14 due 03/27.
04/01 In-class presentations.
04/03 In-class presentations.
04/10 In-class presentations. Read Clerveaux “The DAG approach” & White “Twitter for
teams.” Reaction Paper #15 due 04/15.
04/15 Discussion: Pubic Engagement and Climate.
04/17 No class – Spring holiday.
04/22 Course wrap-up.
DISCLOSURE – ASSIGNMENTS
ADVICE:
1. Start thinking about your final project as soon as possible. Begin collecting materials. You
will notice the oral presentations as well as the final project come at the end of the class.
Plan appropriately.
2. Take the reaction papers seriously; they add up. RPs are due before the class not after.
REACTION PAPERS RP (30 points)
One (1) brief (i.e., 1 typed page maximum) reaction paper as assigned. In these brief
papers, you will be asked to answer an assigned question on a reading or a video (2 points
each, one for each assignment; 15 total points). IMPORTANT: You may redo any of the first
five reaction papers and your second grade will replace your first grade. Questions released
before the assigned reading on the last slide of the Power Point from the previous week.
They are generally due before the class immediately following the one in which they were
assigned, check syllabus. Late RPs are not accepted unless you can demonstrante a bona
fide reason consistent with NCSU’s absence policy.
ORAL REPORT (15 points) see 03/27 – 04/03.
This is a brief oral report including Power Point and handouts. You will select an article
assessing communication about an environmental disaster. While the class mostly discussed
natural disasters, you are encouraged but not required in this assignment to discuss a
technologically related disaster.
Get this approved by Berube. DO NOT DO YOUR ORAL REPORT on your final project (see
below). DO NOT WRITE A PAPER FOR YOUR ORAL REPORT (shoot for 7-10 mins.; you will
be stopped at 10 mins.). We have scheduled three full days for these (15 points).
In addition to the oral report, you will provide for each class member a copy of a one-page
outline or summary or abstract of the article and another page of references or
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recommended readings (5 points each) [note the handouts and suggested readings are
nearly as important as the oral report].
TAKE HOME MID-TERM (15 points). This is a set of broad questions covering topics we
covered in class. You are given five questions and you select three to answer. Each answer
is worth five points.
MAJOR PROJECT (25 points) This is your take-home final examination alternative and it is
due at scheduled final examination day and time.
Undergraduates: select a disaster category from the Time book and from that category
select either an event such as the 2008 Kashmir earthquake or a phenomenon we did not
cover in class, such as fires and from the set of fires select an event such as 2003 San
Joaquin Valley fires. Though we covered the hurricane and flooding from Katrina, you may
select another hurricane or flood if you are so inclined.
Graduate students: select a set of disasters and compare and contrast the communication
challenges and associated issues.
BOTH undergraduate and graduate students: Get this assignment approved by Berube by
the beginning of Spring Break. You will list the public communication issues associated with
information sharing/seeking AND with disaster awareness and crisis avoidance. Reviewing
the event you will evaluate the amount and quality of communication about the disaster
using some of the principles we discussed in class.
Final version of the course paper (10 pp. of text excluding cover and references) using
University of Chicago or MLA formatting and citation style.
PARTICIPATION (15 points).
You are expected to participate in discussions especially on 4/11 and 04/16. You get no
participation points for attending.
SPECIAL GRADING for GRADUATE STUDENTS. No mid-term and final project is worth 40
points.
GRADING
Grading will be assigned on an un-curved, percentage basis; because there are 100 total
course points, earning 90 or above will give the student an A, etc. Scale follows:
A+ 97-100
A 94-96
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D+ 67-69
D 65-66
F 0-64
REACTION PAPERS 30 points
ORAL REPORTS 15 points
MID TERM 15 points
MAJOR PROJECT 25 points
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PARTICIPATION 15 points
TOTAL 100 points
ADDENDUM
COMPUTERS, TABLETS, PHONES, IPODS, IPADS…..
Any student found doing anything on a computer or phone that has nothing to do with the
class during class will be expelled from the class and marked absent. Any student who
recommits will receive a full letter grade penalty.
ALL phones will be turned off during class and tablets and computers should remain closed
unless you are taking notes. DO NOT connect to the internet during class unless told to do
so by the instructor.
ABSENCE POLICY
Per University regulations, excused absences must fall into one of two categories:
sanctioned anticipated situations and documented emergency situations. Anticipated
situations (e.g., participation in official University functions, court attendance, religious
observances, or military duty) must be submitted in writing at the beginning of the
semester or one week prior to the anticipated absence. Emergency absences (e.g., student
illness, injury or death of immediate family member, must be documented by the Student
Organization Resource Center 515-3323) within one week following the emergency. Makeup work will be allowed only in situations where absences were excused. Please consult the
following website for further information on University attendance regulations:
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/courses_undergrad/REG02.20.3.php
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Strict standards of academic honesty will be enforced according to the University policy on
academic integrity found in the code of student conduct. NC State Students are bound to an
honor code, which states: “I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this test or
assignment." It is my understanding and expectation that a student's signature on any test
or assignment means that you have neither given nor received unauthorized aid. Please
consult the following website for further details:
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/student_services/student_discipline/POL11.35.1.php.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order
to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability
Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For
more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/courses_undergrad/REG02.20.1.php
INCOMPLETE AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Points earned for incomplete assignments will be reduced in proportion to the degree to
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which the assignment was completed. Assignments received later than due date will not be
accepted unless in accordance with the excused absence policy as referenced above.
INCOMPLETE GRADE POLICY
Students will not be given a temporary grade of IN (incomplete) unless they have attended
classes regularly for most of the semester, have completed at least 60% of required work,
have missed required work as a result of factors beyond their control, and have submitted
satisfactory documentary evidence. An IN grade not removed by the end of the next
semester in which the student is enrolled or by the end of twelve months, whichever is
earlier, will automatically become an F (unless the student can present a compelling, welldocumented case for the extension). For the NC State policy on grading and IN grades, see
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/grades_undergrad/REG02.50.3.php.
CREDIT ONLY POLICY
Requirements for Credit-Only: In order to receive a grade of S, students are required to
take all exams and quizzes, complete all assignments, and earn a grade of C- or better.
Credit-Only courses can only be included under the Free Elective category of the student’s
curriculum. Conversion from letter grading to credit only (S/U) grading is subject to
university deadlines. Refer to the Registration and Records calendar for deadlines related to
grading. For more details refer to:
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/courses_undergrad/REG02.20.15.php
AUDIT POLICY
Requirements for Auditors: Auditors must consult with the instructor. For details refer to:
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/grades_undergrad/REG02.50.3.php
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
NC State University provides equality of opportunity in education and employment for all
students and employees. Accordingly, NC State affirms its commitment to maintain a work
environment for all employees and an academic environment for all students that is free
from all forms of discrimination. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex,
national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation is a violation of state
and federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Harassment of
any person (either in the form of quid pro quo or creation of a hostile environment) based
on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual
orientation also is a violation of state and federal law and/or NC State University policy and
will not be tolerated. Retaliation against any person who complains about discrimination is
also prohibited. NC State’s policies and regulations covering discrimination, harassment, and
retaliation may be accessed at http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/campus_environ/nondiscrimination/REG04.25.4.php.
STUDENT RESOURCES
Writing and Speaking Tutorial Services: http://www.ncsu.edu/tutorial_center/writespeak/
Academic Policies: www.ncsu.edu/policies/sitemap.php#acad-pols_regs
University Career Center: http://www.ncsu.edu/career/
Adverse Weather: Complete information about adverse weather policies is available at
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http://www.ncsu.edu/human_resources/benefits/leave/adverseweather.php
Check email, news, the NCSU home page, or call 513-8888 for the latest information