Global Disasters in Historical Consciousness

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Communicating About Disasters
Learning from Past Mistakes
Compiling and Presenting Data on Disasters
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Disasters result in severe disruption of society because of the many casualties and losses (economic, environmental, and social costs) incurred. Obtaining knowledge of the history of tragic events has proven to be the most effective strategy for preventing them or reducing their effects on the community. Disasters serve as references to explain the causes and consequences of catastrophes in society today. Valuable data collected during a disaster can inform future practices and lower the risk of losing lives and resources. Therefore, understanding the history of calamities is significant because the knowledge gathered can be used to increase the effectiveness of risk and hazard assessments, leading to better decisions.

Communicating About Disasters

First, understanding the history of past disasters enables communities to know the best way to communicate to others about the tragedy. Based on the week eleven reading, influencers have the power to drive others to help in a crisis or make them withhold their assistance because of how they present their cause. According to Scott (2015), celebrities are relatively “successful in connecting spectators and faraway strangers.” For instance, music was used to convey information during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The musicians wanted to address the real issues related to the transmission of the disease. Therefore, they constructed a piece characterized by longevity and high cultural value to create awareness of prevention, thus restoring hope and rebuilding people’s trust in the health system.

Celebrities should recognize their influence on the willingness of people to help during disasters. Are (2018) acknowledges their importance when she argues that “celebrities play a crucial role raising awareness and representing the concerns of citizens.” Similarly, Colapinto (2012) recognizes the significance of celebrities and advocates for “the use of headline-grabbing celebrities as the only way for nonprofit groups to draw attention to unglamorous places such as Haiti, Darfur or Somalia.” Therefore, rather than spreading degrading news, influencers should evaluate the situation on the ground during a crisis and create constructive criticism that provokes people to want to help.

Learning from Past Mistakes

Secondly, understanding the history of disasters improves people’s critical thinking skills, enabling them to learn from past mistakes and make better decisions. Disasters can be caused by disease outbreaks, such as the coronavirus pandemic. In curbing the virus, vaccines, medications, and social-control measures were established to protect communities from contracting the disease and treat infected people. However, there were different attitudes concerning the value and authenticity of the vaccine. People in the opposition believed that the immunization introduced microchips into people’s bodies, making them zombies. Similar behavior was observed in the 1860s and 1950s when vaccinations against disease outbreaks were introduced. For instance, Italy banned unvaccinated children from attending school and fined €500 parents who did not obey this policy (BBC News, 2019). The resulting anti-vaccination campaigns led to a significant decrease in vaccination rates and some people were misled to believe the drugs would negatively affect their health.

According to the week three reading, people in the past did not believe in vaccines; they associated them with witchcraft as they did not understand how they work. History repeated itself during the COVID-9 pandemic and, therefore, stakeholders should be aware of the public’s resistance to the introduction of new vaccines during pandemics. They should avoid establishing mandatory policies as this will result in more resistance and distrust in the health system. Instead, interventions should “address the specific concerns in a given context, time and vaccine” (Dubé et al., 2015). Governments should create awareness of the drugs’ effectiveness and working mechanisms to influence people to get vaccinated willingly.

Compiling and Presenting Data on Disasters

Another significance of understanding historical consciousness is that it helps journalists and photojournalists know how to compile and present information to the public. The power of the internet has made it easy for people to access and pass messages through social media. Since the 1980s, photographers used to take pictures of victims of violence and displayed them in museums to create awareness of what is happening in the war. According to week seven, as time went by, disaster photojournalists increased their efforts to spread pictures of violence on the internet, saturating social media with these photos. The audience began getting used to these images, and, as a result, people are not emotionally aroused to want to help. Sontag (2003) contributes to this idea by claiming that “people can turn off not just because a steady diet of images has made them indifferent…” Consequently, this led to distrust among the public because people no longer trust the pictures circulated through the internet as a reflection of the actual events of the disaster.

However, to eliminate this menace, data collected during and after catastrophes should be standardized and coordinated to reflect the actual events of the disaster. Investigation teams should ensure that the images and news spread through the internet related to the social, physical, and biological phenomena resulting in the disaster. Rather than showing what every photojournalist wants people to see in their images, the pictures should be equalized to reflect reality. Consequently, this will restore the public’s trust in disaster photographs as they will create meaning that makes the audience them emotionally charged. According to Barnes (2012), “Emotion is not just a feeling. It can also move people to action.” Standardized pictures will make people picture themselves “against the scene of trauma or tragedy,” thus recognize the adverse impact of war and resolve to settle fights amicably (Ibrahim, 2017). Subsequently, successful efforts to prevent the loss of lives and reduce property damage will be initiated. Additionally, coordination of the type of images taken and the format they will be presented to the public is likely to drive the translation of lessons learned from the past into enhanced calamity preparedness and mitigation.

Conclusion

To conclude, knowledge of the history of disasters helps people understand the causes and effects of catastrophes and emergencies. The knowledge gained can be used in preparing for future disasters and establishing policies and practices that mitigate the impact of calamities. Historical consciousness helps people know the best way to communicate with others concerning the happenings of a disaster. Inappropriate conveyance of information can lead to people withholding support. Therefore, celebrities in society should recognize their value and significance in influencing people and critically compose constructive artistic pieces that communicate the actual situation of disasters to aiders. Lastly, journalists should standardize and coordinate their efforts to ensure they do not saturate the internet with violent photos, making people so prone to negative news that they do not feel the urge to help.

References

Are, C. (2018). The problems with celebrity humanitarians. Humanitarian News Research Network. Web.

Barnes, S. (2012). About to die in the tsunami: Variance across space. In Barbie Zelizer. About to die: How news images move the public (pp. 244-264). Oxford University Press. Web.

BBC News. (2019). Italy bans unvaccinated children from school. Web.

Colapinto, J. (2012). When celebrities become philanthropists.The Guardian. Web.

Dubé, E., Vivion, M., & MacDonald, N. (2015). Vaccine hesitancy, vaccine refusal and the anti-vaccine movement: influence, impact and implications.Expert Review of Vaccines 14(1), 99-117. Web.

Ibrahim, Y. (2015). Self-Representation and the disaster event: Self-imaging, morality and immortality.Journal of Media Practice 16(3), 211-227. Web.

Scott, M. (2015). The role of celebrities in mediating distant suffering.International Journal of Cultural Studies, 19(4), 449-66. Web.

Sontag, S. (2003). Regarding the pain of others (pp. 79-106). London: Penguin.

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