Brian,
Thanks for the comprehensive and informative response.
Indeed ASCE does a wonderful job with the Report Card, and from out here beyond the beltway, each year I think I see more "day to day" news reporting of the Report Card. Similarly, we've got a well oiled machine educating local, state, and federal legislators.
You clarified for me ASCE's role in a situation such as Oroville: "we do not do proactive media outreach around infrastructure events such as those at Oroville".
Hmm. I propose ASCE embrace proactive media outreach.
Agreed we shouldn't fear-monger, go for the click-bait headline, etc. But, there are still too many every day news sources which don't know to call ASCE. During the first few days, the quantity of smiling-made-up-face-on-the-site reporters who just misstated terms was scary – and the public was misled by their reporting. Further, discerning viewers worried about their news sources being skewed to cya (for quotes from the administration) to fear mongering for other purposes (from environmental groups with other purposes) - because all of those groups have their "resources" readily at hand, feeding the news folks but only explaining enough to further their own agenda.
This suggestion proposes ASCE move to a more pro-active role in ensuring local news knows to call ASCE and having the knowledgeable resources readily available to explain terminology.
Using Oroville as an example, the first day, an ASCE published graphic showing the dam area correctly labeling each of the dam components would have helped prevent “the dam is going to fail” reports when the reporter intended to say “the emergency spillway may fail”. The reporters (I hope) weren’t intentionally misreporting, but they meant the emergency spillway had eroded such that the emergency spillway might be in jeopardy. If we had made a graphic with terminology available – maybe at least a few of the more responsible reporters would have chatted with our representative to understand the components and which were in play and why – and the public would have understood the potential danger of a 30’ wall failure and why that danger exists.
Therefore, I propose we carefully consider embracing and offering media outreach. A touchy challenge, it would require more ASCE staff and we’ll be informing the public at the same time some of our members are neck deep in the problem. We certainly don’t want to draw conclusions. But … we can help the public properly understand what is happening. And with that understanding we all will benefit.
Offered as food for thought.
Cheers all,
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Chip Ossman A.M.ASCE
Ossman Project Management Consulting, Inc.
Pasadena CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-14-2017 19:12
From: Chip Ossman
Subject: Using Current Events to Further ASCE Goals
At the beginning of the week of Feb. 13, 2017, ASCE has a great opportunity to be the information and PR resource at the forefront of a current infrastructure catastrophe.
ASCE could dispatch to the Oroville dam site ASCE employee(s) experienced in public relations and civil engineering as well as perhaps a dam expert or two, and let the media know of ASCE's willingness to inform.
Each news report would then include a reference to "ASCE engineer (name)" and have that ASCE representative (who should be an ASCE employee trained in coordinating media relations and answering media questions) furthering ASCE's mission of reminding the U.S. of the importance of infrastructure while properly educating the public about dams, spillways, emergency overflows, and histories of dam failures in the context of the current situation. The ASCE representative could participate in the public information sessions by asking the correct questions to get at the base of the problem; then, after the PI session is complete, turn to the reporters as an information resource.
The ASCE spokesperson is not there to analyze nor resolve, certainly not to design, but to inform with the knowledge of ASCE - won't be long until the public and the news reporters seek out ASCE for an unbiased report about the latest event of the moment, and ASCE will be able to consistently remind folks of our infrastructure challenges on a continuing basis, driven by the breaking news of the moment.
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Chip Ossman A.M.ASCE
Ossman Project Management Consulting, Inc
Pasadena CA
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