Knowing Your Audience and Communication BCOMMS/275

The article Over 30 workers trapped after Chilean copper mine collapse by Weik, 2010 gave a poor accounting of the issue at hand. The flow of the article was poor, and the communication itself offered the copper miner families and employees of the company little information and no clear next steps. During times of emergency, clear and concise communications are critical. Companies should have communication plans in place to act swiftly and effectively in emergency situations. Crisis plans should be developed, ready for use when necessary. It is during these times that companies do not have the luxury to pour through materials and follow long procedures to act on the matter at hand (Woods, 2006) Effective communication is essential in the response and recovery phases of emergency management. It helps with decision making, assists in selecting from the various forms of communication, and identifies gaps in notification and response communications. Employers should communicate with their employees so they can respond in an accurate, professional, and timely manner. They need to know what to do, what steps need to be taken, and how to prioritize key functions (Woods, 2006) In the instance of the Chilean mine collapse, when disaster struck, both the family members of the miners and the employees of the company should have be told of the company’s emergency preparedness. They should have been presented with a clear response plan. Emergency information needs to be presented quickly and differently, depending on the audience. What the family members of the Chilean mine collapse need to know will be clearly different from what the company employees need to know. The company must cater to