RTNDA president Barbara Cochran and two news directors testified Sept. 14 before the House Select Committee on Homeland Security about the role the broadcast media plays in keeping the public informed during national emergencies.
RTNDA members Robert Long, vice president and news director at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, and Greg Caputo, news director at WGN-TV in Chicago, joined Cochran.
In her testimony, Cochran outlined three major responsibilities of the media:
- Helping to prepare the community by reporting on risks and disseminating information before any attacks or emergencies;
- Being ready to report factually and comprehensively after an event occurs;
- Preparing the broadcast facilities to be as secure as possible to continue informing the community after an emergency.
Cochran informed the committee about 10 workshops RTNDA and RTNDF are holding across the country to get journalists and first responders to work together to streamline communications and to better understand each other’s roles.
For more information, visit www.rtnda.org.
