doi: 10.3850/S1793924013002423

Information Seeking for Earthquake Preparedness Evaluating the Role of Media in
Teaching Residents in Disaster Prone Areas of West Sumatra

Eila Romo-Murphy Department of Communication, University of Jyväskylä, Pitkäkatu 1 A, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland. eila.murphy@kolumbus.fi

ABSTRACT

This study scrutinizes the role of media in disaster preparedness inWest Sumatra, Indonesia. For this purpose an information mapping exercise was conducted in Padang Pariaman regency of West Sumatra, in November 2010. What information sources do villagers and community radio listeners utilize when seeking information about earthquake preparedness? The respondents were asked to draw a map of their information sources for earthquake preparedness. The findings show that newspapers are seen as an important source for preparedness. Villagers also stressed personal communications and phone contacts with family and neighbors, while community radio listeners emphasized radio and the local community as important sources for earthquake readiness. The findings can help improve media education strategies to facilitate improved disaster preparedness in Indonesian villages. Discussions on preparedness need to be brought into village life, using personal communication channels such as community meetings.

Keywords: Disaster preparedness, Role of media, Information seeking.

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