...33 Miners Trapped in Chilean Copper Mine In the event of a disaster it is important that the information about it gets out as quickly and as effectively as possible. To make this possible it is important that we know as much about the audience as we do about the accident. When dealing with a multicultural audience this can be a difficult task, since we have to take into account any language barriers, how the information will be received. In this paper we will be discussing the method that the Chilean Copper Mine used after the accident that happened on Thursday, August 5th, 2010. How the Chilean Copper Mine communicates to the families of the miners, their employees and to the local community is very important. What they say will have an impact on everyone involved. The 5th of August, 2010, in the northern area of Copiapo, Chile is where the Chilean Copper Mine is located. The Chilean Copper Mine collapsed and on that fateful Thursday, 33 miners became trapped inside this was reported by The New York Times (New York Times, 2010). The miners were trapped in an area of the mine which was 2,300 feet below the surface. The 33 miners were trapped below ground for almost two months. It would be easy to understand why the Chilean Copper Mining Company was being skeptical about the possibilities of there being any survivors. During this time the Chilean Copper Mining Company was having a hard time keeping the families of the trapped miners reassured, some were having...
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...your eyes imagine that you are trapped in complete darkness with little to no room surrounded by 32 other men, the fear of no escape from a room smaller than the size of an average classroom, and you are half a mile underground with no way out. Unless, someone experienced this nightmare firsthand this would be difficult for anyone to imagine. This was the terrifying and exhausting reality for 33 Chilean gold miners August 5, 2010 through October 9, 2010. There are two difficult types of communication that the San Esteban Company faced. The Company had to address the families of the trapped miner’s and the rest of world. The considerations of roles the Company played when addressing the two different audiences will be discussed. And what actions were taken before and after the message was delivered to ensure that the messages were received as they were intended for each audience. Addressing the Audience Everyone experiences fear in their own way, but the thought of being trapped half a mile underground, 2600 feet, almost 900 meters is a terrifying thought for anyone. The miner’s from the San Esteban Mining Company lived through the fear of claustrophobia for 70 days in almost complete darkness. It took 17 days before the miners were discovered to be trapped and still alive. The miners made two days of food and water last 17 days. The miners were discovered through constant attempts from their Company digging trying to find the miners exact location. In August of 2010 this...
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... Communicating effectively in a time of crisis is crucial to informing every body of the incident and contributes to a successful outcome of an already stressful event. The Chilean copper mine collapse is a classic example of an incident requiring multiple levels of communication, particularly to the families of the miners and the company’s employees. To start with, developing the communication requires a consideration for the people in the audience and their respective roles as either family members or employees. Ensuring they understand the gravity of the situation and addressing the needs of both parties through communication is challenging. The key to answering the challenge is the preparation prior to message delivery and understanding the goal of the communication will ensure proper receipt of the intended communication. Validation of the audience receiving the message is last part of ensuring the communication was effective. The method of accomplishing this validation is pursuing feedback from the miner‘s family members and the company’s employees. Completing this last piece of the communication process will ensure effective communication took place between the messenger and receiver. First, the most important consideration in delivering this message to the Chilean miner’s families and company’s employees would be to accept responsibility, be transparent in communication, and openly convey expectations on the outcome of the incident (Crenshaw, 2011)...
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...Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Chilean Copper Mine Collapse On August 5, 2010, a Chilean copper mine collapsed in San Jose, North Chile, trapping 33 workers underground. It was not until 17 days later that rescuers discovered that all of the trapped men were still alive. The Chilean government took over day one and brought in oilrig trucks to dig ½ mile down to the trapped miners. The oilrigs drilled a 26 in wide hole in which they sent a cage down to the miners. Rescuers needed to care for the miners’ health with food, exercise, and games while ensuring the miners girth stay under 35 inches. Once the cage reached the miners, it took 1-3 hours to bring one miner up at a time. The rescue operation had a price tag of around $10 million to $20 Million. The rescue operation was watched from around the world although it initially did not have national exposure until an editor helped it go viral. Supplies such as fresh air, clothing, food, medicine, sleeping cots, electricity, and running water were provided through two six in boreholes spanning 2300 feet. On the surface families stayed near the mine at a make shift camp called ‘Camp Hope” and were able to send and receive letters in an effort to comfort the miners during the rescue which initially thought would take up to 4 months. The miners did understand that the rescue would take some time and requested a small television to watch their beloved soccer games. After 69 pain-staking days, the miners began ascending from the depths...
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...“Over 30 Workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse” Kevin Ivery BCOM275 September 30, 2013 University of Phoenix “Over 30 Workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse” Technology played an important role in the communication of the 33 miners that were trapped for 69 days underground. All types of communication were used from live minute to minute news coverage to the world tweeting about the collapse on twitter. With television, radio it is easy to sensor the communication do the strict guidelines these agency have concerning tragic events. The reporters delivering the news ensure that what they are communicating is accurate information. Understand that the workers family and coworkers are worried about the miner’s survival. In larger incidents, such as this the information must be controlled to keep panic at a minimum. Communication efforts to the miners are equally important. There were numerous measured taken to ensure the miners mental fortitude. There was a bore hole that allowed the miners to let the world know that the miners are alive. This communication came 17 days later after all thought the 33 miners had parish. The rescuers lowered a video camera down to the miners this communicated to the people up above that the miners were in good health. The miners exchanged letters to their family and friends through the bore...
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...Communications Success at Chilean Copper Mine An effective crises management plan should be part of every corporation’s strategic business plan. The failure of not developing a crises management plan could cause a corporation to face additional financial loss or reputation loss (Gupta, 2011). Research of Corporate Communication Institute found that during crises the ability of have an effective communication team and the ability to master the media is an important tool for the each of the three stages of the crises management plan. The most effective communication strategy is audience segmentation (Gupta, 2011). Audience segmentation will allow the spokesperson to speak to key market segments, which have different concerns than other segments. In the example of the Chile mine collapse the main segments are; Chile mine owners, trapped miners, family members, media, Chile government, and the corporation’s employees. In the case of the Chile mine collapse the owners did not have a crises management plan in place to handle the crises. They failed to handle the crises communication, contingency planning, containment, and had no plan for a resolution. The troubled mine owners even attempted to hide the fact of the collapse but were unsuccessful thanks to the miner’s families. The families of the trapped miners who built a camp near the accident site played a vital role to draw their government attention to the problem. The president of Chile instructed the state secretaries to take...
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...mission. Mining in Chile is not a novelty; it is a country rich in mineral resources and the world’s largest producer of copper. Mining accidents had been recorded in the past some of which ending in tragedy. The locality in which the mining disaster occurred – The Atacama Desert region alone hosted 884 mines. The events relayed in the case study commence on August 5, 2010 to October 13th 2010, when the operation was crowned with a victorious. The sheer tenacity and preciseness of the rescue team led by the Chilean mining minister Laurence Golborne has been compared to that of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’S) efforts in April 1970 when they successfully returned the damaged spacecraft, Apollo 13 to Earth after the near fatal explosion of an oxygen tank. The case study vividly relays the critical leadership decisions, political dilemmas of the cabinet and political elites; it explores the emotions, fears and hopes of the miner’s families. Despite the sad events that surround the case study, the study portrays human beings at their best; people of all...
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...employees of the company of this horrible accident. Although rescuing the miners from the copper mine will be a challenge for the company, but the biggest challenge the company will face is communicating with the different groups of people involved in this tragedy. When communicating with the different diverse group of people, the company needs to consider what his or her audience needs whether it is reassurance or details of the accident. The company also needs to consider security, by electing one spokesperson to relay information to the families, employees, and the news media this way the company can ensure the individual groups are receiving the proper information (Neal, 2010). The company’s first communication will be to inform the miner’s families of the incident. The family members will want to know if their loved ones are still alive and what methods the company is using to free the miners. All communication about the mining accident to the family members will be face-to-face communications. This type of communication will help ease their anxieties about...
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...Chilean Mine Collapse Garret Rife BCOM/275 October 9, 2011 Randi Plante Chilean Mine Collapse On August 5, 2010 one of the worst things fathomable for the 121-year-old Copiapo copper mine located in Chile occurred. The mine collapsed on itself trapping 33 unfortunate miners in the process. They were trapped with no escape route open to them and were left to the perils of the unforgivable crawl space that they would now call home. "The buried men, who became known as "Los 33" ("The 33"), were trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) underground and about 5 kilometers (3 mi) from the mine's entrance via spiraling underground service ramps"(“2010 Copiapo mining accident,” 2010). The mining company would now be faced with communicating the tragedy within not only the company, but with the trapped miner's families and loved ones. With such an audience at hand, careful consideration on delivery methods is of great importance. When a tragedy occurs, loved ones will often lose their cognitive and logical thinking abilities and essentially go into panic mode. One must collect data that will help to deliver the material at each level of understanding in an audience with such diverse roles. We are dealing with a different culture and background from our own with many different beliefs as well. The needs of the affected families involved with the "Chilean Mine Collapse" were assuredly sensitive and great caution was needed in communicating with them. Imagine a young...
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...Mine In northern Chile, when it was discovered that a mining shift had collapsed and thirty three miner’s were trapped 310 meters (1017 feet) below the ground. This tragedy captured audiences of every source of mainstream media around the world. The media reported updates on the conditions of the trapped miners daily until their rescue on October 9, 2010. People were drawn to the families of the trapped miners. Because of the magnitude of this unnatural disaster, audiences worldwide were depending on the reporters to give them every detail possible. Not to mention those connected to the disaster: family, close friends, coworkers, and the rescue teams of the trapped miners. Many people living thousands of miles away from the disaster site hoped for a glimpse of the trapped miners and their rescue. For the family and friends of the thirty three miners’ who were trapped deep below the Earth’s surface it would be the mining company’s responsibility to notify them immediately It is very important to know the specific needs of your audience during this type of tragedy. Traditionally; radio, television, telephones, and newspapers have been the main source of delivering important messages but, in this specific incident all forms of media were used because people all over the world were interested in the outcome of the disaster. At the support center for the families of the trapped miner’s the speaker played a very important role during the entire situation. The speaker had to show empathy...
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...Chilean Miners Trapped and Rescued Tyrone Norris BCOM/275 February 20, 2012 Velonta Adams Chilean Miners Trapped and Rescued The Chilean miners’ accident was surely a frightening incident for the miners themselves and their families. This incident that occurred raised a great many of questions of whom the Chilean President, Sebastian Pinera was faced to answer. With all things considered, it would have been to his credit to ensure that as many facts as possible be gathered to deliver information about the accident to families and the media. The Chilean miner’s accident was examined from many different perspectives and shed light on the position of the company, Compania Minera San Esteban Primera, as to their concern for the safety of the miners based on the condition of the roof which collapsed. His statement that was communicated to the public was, “The cause of the roof collapse, about 1,100 feet (350 meters) below the surface, is being investigated.” Chile Mine Collapse: Facts about the Amazing Survival Story, by Wynne Parry and Rachael Rettner. This incident was telecast around the world almost as quickly as it happened and some things to remember are how the families and peers of the miners felt during this tragic event. They would be left guessing day to day about the well being of their loved ones and fellow co-workers. The media would have needed to be very delicate in the delivery of this astounding news to the world because it would be also heard by those...
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...Knowing Your Audience and Communication Release Patricia Brooks BCOM/275 Date Melinda Maldonado Knowing Your Audience Paper and Communication Release Knowing the audience and using the right communication release is vital in any catastrophe. For example, the Chilean copper mine disaster in South America, which left 33 miners trapped 300 feet underground fighting for their lives. Chilean miners had limited water, food, oxygen, and the chance for survival was slim. Fortunately, in this catastrophe the tears turn into screams of joy because all 33 Chilean miners were rescued (Weik, 2010). The Beginning of the Communication Process There are many factors to think about when a situation like this happens. Families must be notified, employees are inform, and questions form the media as well as the families’ has to be addressed. Communication process is vital and must be handled accordingly with the intended audience in mind. In addition, forming the right communication release to the people in the audience and those who have different roles in the media is equally important. This will allow the company speaker to have effective message. If the audience is not taken into consideration when conveying a message, the communication could be lost, misunderstood, or incomplete (Cheesebro, & Rios, 2010). Potential needs of the Families Communication must be designed with the audience in mind therefore, when releasing information to the victim’s families on their conditions...
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...Chilean Mine Collapse Scott Smith B Com/275 September 18, 2014 Ronald Baker Chilean Mine Collapse A mine in Chile collapsed on August 5, 2010. This horrible incident trapped 33 miners underground with limited food, water, and air. The collapse set off a chain of events that demonstrated a breakdown in communication. With different audiences in need of information, communication is key. According to “From Collapse to rescue: Inside the Chile Mine Disaster” by Jennifer Yang, staff reporter of thestar.com published on Sunday October 10, 2010, as soon as soon as news of the collapse spread wooden crosses were placed outside of the mine, “some hung with helmets and miner’s lamps.”. At this time no one knew the miners were still alive. In order for there to be effective communication, facts have to be gathered. The miners were trapped under 700 meters of granite. By the next morning relatives of the miners and reporters came to the mine demanding answers. There were a few independent miners that showed up with shovels and said they would dig the miners out themselves. A special operations squad was called in but failed twice to rescue the workers. At this time the Chilean government stepped in. After more failed attempts, the article states “At the base of the mine, anguished relatives were distraught to see fire trucks and ambulances on scene suddenly driving away”. Why didn’t anyone communicate to these family members and workers what was going on and why the emergency...
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...trapped 33 Chilean miners for 69 days. Getting the information to families and employees with accuracy and urgency is important, but knowing the audience and relationship held between deliverer and receiver is important as well. Although there are things that need to be known by employees and families alike, tone of delivery and depth of information may differ depending on the level of emotional involvement. With a tragedy such as the Chilean cave-in all parties involved have to be addressed in a tactful manner. It is important to give families and employees as much information as possible with a sense of urgency and accuracy while trying to consider the state of mind of the recipient. Chilean culture runs on paternalistic based leadership which is a fatherly and managerial style of leading. Families which rely solely on the miners for survival by means of income, emotional ties, and protective leadership may need help to supplement in these areas during the miners absence. American Red Cross worked with local volunteers to set up a 24 hour support camp. The camp distributed food, provided first aid, psychosocial support and Family tracing. The camp also ensured families had medications and provided services to cash and deposit paychecks (Huang, 2010). A brief explanation of how the accident may have happened should be included in the communication between all parties. This section could include things such as the status of the miner’s health,...
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...extension, the world, grew increasingly concerned about the well-being of the men as there was no way of determining the actual state of the miners initially. On August 22, 2010, after digging a small hole through the roof the mine’s shelter area, a message was sent to the earth’s surface, via note, stating that everyone was alive. From the onset of the accident, the Chilean government recruited the services of mining industry professionals and on October 13, 2010, the first miner was lifted out of the mine. All 33 men were safely retrieved in less than 24 hours and reunited with their families. The way in which the Chilean government and the enlisted professionals handled the dissemination of information, proved successful in how they wanted the viewing and listening public to receive the messages. When delivering a pertinent presentation, there are many factors to consider as they relate to the people and their roles in the audience, for example, age, educational and economic backgrounds, gender, occupation, political, religious, or moral beliefs and socioeconomic roles (University of Phoenix, 2009-2010). The Chilean mining accident called for informative speeches to be delivered to a diverse and large...
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