IMPLICATIONS OF ONLINE MEDIA AGENDA-SETTING ON LGUs

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

JICEL A. ROCKCLIFF

An Undergraduate Thesis to be presented to the Faculty of College of Arts and Sciences

Partido State University

Goa, Camarines Sur

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

hapter 1

THE PROBLEM
INTRODUCTION

Mass media is a very valuable source of information and a powerful mode of

communication. It has the power to shape and control the perception of an individual

towards a certain phenomenon or happening. In the process of disseminating information,

the press does much more than merely informs its audiences. By selecting which public

affairs stories will be reported and by giving special prominence to some stories, the news

media suggest which people, issues, and events are especially deserving of public

attention.

This is explained in the concept of agenda setting which is the idea that what the

public thinks about is set by the media. The agenda setting theory was first introduced

by Dr. Maxwell McCombs and Dr. Donald Shaw in 1972. The ability of the mass media

to set the agenda for public discussion is known as agenda-setting. The media's agenda

becomes the public's agenda. The public’s agenda then becomes also the agenda of the

government. The government relies on the media to be seen as effective policymakers.

Thus, Mass media play a critical role in policymaking. They help to set an agenda,

which is then adopted and dealt with by politicians, policymakers, and other actors.

Media can draw attention to the players involved in the policy process and can aid, abet

or hinder their cause by highlighting their role in policymaking. Media can also act as a
critical conduit between governments and publics, informing publics about government

actions and policies, and helping to convey public attitudes to government officials. This

influence provides media with a powerful tool to influence government and the way

people view it.

In the case of disasters, traditional media has the power to portray the government

both in the positive and negative light of things. They may press for government

accountability by emphasizing disaster response and mitigation over prevention efforts.

More often it highlights deficiencies in the delivery of relief or local preparedness and

national coordination efforts. The public's agenda then will be set and they start

demanding for answers. These prompts the government to take action and formulate

policies based on the issues set by the media and perspectives of the public. The press

has an undeniable impact on disaster management, as it has on many public events it

covers and this effect has intensified with the popularity of the Internet and online news

media.

The present study will provide a better understanding of how agenda-setting in the

online news media may have a direct effect on the government's perspective.The National

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is tasked to come up with

a framework for disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), as well as supervise
preparations for, and responses to, natural calamities and human-induced disasters.

However, local government units (LGUs) are expected to be at the frontline of emergency

measures in the aftermath of disasters to ensure the general welfare of its constituents,

according to the Local Government Code of 1991. As first responders, they should be

proactive in performing disaster-related activities, from preemptive evacuation to the

restoration of people's livelihood. It also states that every LGU should also create a Local

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (LDRRMP) covering 4 aspects of DRRM

as specified in NDRRMC's framework, namely: disaster preparedness, response,

prevention and mitigation, and rehabilitation and recovery. The Municipal Disaster Risk

Reduction Management Office of every LGU oversees the implementation of these

policies in their areas.

It is in this light that this research is to be conducted to determine the implications

of online media agenda-setting on Local Government Units’ (LGUs) disaster

management particularly in the case of typhoons. This will assess the implications of

agenda set in online news coverage of typhoons on the perspectives of the officers of

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management office (MDRRMO) in

implementing disaster management policies.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The general purpose of this study is to determine the implications of online media

agenda setting on Local Government Units (LGUs) Disaster Management. Specifically,

the researcher seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of exposure of Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management (MDRRM) officers in online media?

2. Which news websites do Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

(MDRRM) officers’ access for disaster-related information and updates

specifically in the case of typhoons?

3. What is the focus or agenda set by these online news sites during the coverage

of typhoons?

4. What are the perceptions and agenda of Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management (MDRRM) officers regarding the implementation of policies on

disaster management in the case of typhoons?

5. What is the implication of agenda setting of online news coverage of disasters

on the agenda of MDRRM officers on disaster management in the case of

typhoons?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The results of the study will greatly benefit the following:

Municipal Mayors. Reporting on analysis of current and proposed disaster

policies can help increase understanding of their potential impact which can guide

municipal heads in policy formation or revision.

Local Government Units. The LGUs may use the information collected in this

study to properly respond to disasters as well as on the possible use of online

media to improve their disaster management framework.

Mediamen. Knowledge regarding how the media gathers and distributes the news

is important in understanding and shaping agenda-setting and public policy

priorities in natural disasters.

Communication/Mass Media/Journalism students. This will provide them with

further understanding of their future profession especially if they plan to pursue

one that is related to online media.

Community. The possible solutions that will be formulated will provide a better

disaster management coordination to minimize effects.

The Researcher. Through this study, the researcher will gain more knowledge

about the subject area and contribute her knowledge to the whole society.

Other researchers. This will help future researchers and a sense that this could

provide them backbone in their future endeavour in research.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study assessed the implications of online media agenda setting on Local

Government Units (LGUs) Disaster Management. The main respondents were the

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management office (MDRRM) officers of Goa,

Lagonoy, Sagnay, San Jose and Tigaon in Camarines Sur. These five municipalities were

included in the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) report in 2010 of the 22

municipalities of Camarines Sur which are prone to flooding and typhoon-related

incidents. Typhoon-related articles published from July 1- July 31, 2016 from the top

three preferred news websites of the respondents were retrieved from the news websites

and analyzed to determine their agenda.

ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is conducted based on the assumption that agenda setting of online

news coverage of typhoons has implications on the agenda of MDRRM officers on

implementing policies on disaster preparedness, response, prevention and mitigation, and

rehabilitation during typhoons. In correspondence to the aforementioned problem, the

researcher also assumes that:

1. Traditional media (print and broadcast) media affects the perception of the public.

2. Topics ranked highly in the mass media are accorded similar importance by the
 audience.

3. Their online counterparts help increase their audiences’ perceived agenda.

4. The government relies on the media to be seen as effective policymakers.

5. Media affects the perceptions of those in the government as much as it affects the

public's agenda.

HYPOTHESIS

There is a significant relationship between agenda set by online news sites in

typhoon coverage and the perceptions and agenda of officers of MDRRMO on the

implementation of policies on disaster management in the case of typhoons.

 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

RELATED LITERATURE

Disasters

A disaster is a sudden, emergent event, which may cause significant casualties,

property losses, and endanger public safety (Norris et al. 2002). This decade has seen an

increasing number of natural and man-made disasters. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami,

the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 in China and the earthquake in 2011 in Japan, to name

a few, killed tens of thousands of people. These disasters also caused tremendous stress

and a series of social problems. Effective communication is one of the key points to
consider when dealing with disasters.

Disaster Risk Management

Disaster Preparedness provides for the key strategic actions that give importance

to activities revolving around community awareness and understanding; contingency

planning; conduct of local drills and the development of a national disaster response plan.

Risk-related information coming from the prevention and mitigation aspect is necessary

in order for the preparedness activities to be responsive to the needs of the people and

situation on the ground. Also, the policies, budget and institutional mechanisms

established under the prevention and mitigation priority area will be further enhanced

through capacity building activities, development of coordination mechanisms. Through

these, coordination, complementation and interoperability of work in DRRM operations

and essential services will be ensured. Behavioral change created by the preparedness

aspect is eventually measured by how well people responded to the disasters. At the

frontlines of preparedness are the local government units, local chief executives and

communities. Disaster Response gives importance to activities during the actual disaster

response operations from needs assessment to search and rescue to relief operations to

early recovery activities are emphasized. The success and realization of this priority area
rely heavily on the completion of the activities under both the prevention and mitigation

and preparedness aspects, including among others the coordination and communication

mechanisms to be developed. On-the-ground partnerships and the vertical and horizontal

coordination work between and among key stakeholders will contribute to successful

disaster response operations and its smooth transition towards early and long term

recovery work. The Rehabilitation and Recovery priority area cover areas like

employment and livelihoods, infrastructure and lifeline facilities, housing and

resettlement, among others. These are recovery efforts done when people are already

outside of the evacuation centers. There are compelling reasons why the Philippines

should adopt disaster risk reduction and management(DRRM) and climate change

adaptation (CCA). It is exposed to disasters and hazards due to its geography and

geology as well as the presence of internal disputes in some areas. Tropical cyclones and

its sequential effects of rain and windstorms, as well as floods are the most prevalent

types of hydro-meteorological hazards in the country. Between 1997 and 2007,

eightyfour (84) tropical cyclones entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

These typhoons resulted to a total of 13,155 in human casualty and more than 51 million

families have been affected. Economic losses due to typhoon damages in agriculture,

infrastructures and private properties are estimated to reach P158.242-B. Some of the
most devastating floods and landslides are triggered by these typhoons that happened also

within this period. The El Nino Southern Oscillation which is a periodic disaster recorded

high economic costs in just a single occurrence. In 2010, out of the almost PhP 25-M

worth of damages to properties caused by natural disasters,tropical cyclones contributed

to more than half. These affected more than 3 million people in that year alone.

Environmental factors such as denuded forests aggravate flood risks. The pace of

deforestation since the 1930s accelerated in the 1950s and 1960s, before falling slightly

in the 1980s. Even now, the effects of loose soil and reduced forest cover from past

forestry activities are felt in frequent landslides and floods. Recent events show that the

annual monsoon season in the country has brought severe flooding in most areas. In

2011, most of the disasters that claimed the lives of people and affected properties and

livelihoods of the most vulnerable were brought about by increased rainfall which caused

massive flash flooding in areas which don’t normally experience such. Between January

to September 2011, more than 50 incidents of flash flooding and flooding and more than

30 landslides occurred, mostly caused by increased rainfall and illegal logging. Typhoon

Sendong alone caused the lives of more than 1,000 people and damaged properties

amounting to billions of pesos. In addition, the Philippines is situated along a highly

seismic area lying along the Pacific Ring of Fire and is highly-prone to earthquakes.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVLOCS), the

country experiences an average of five (5) earthquakes a day (Department of Internal and

Local Government of the Philippines, 2012).

Over the past 20 years disasters have affected 4.4 billion people, caused $2

trillion of damage and killed 1.3 million people. These losses have outstripped the total

value of official development assistance in the same period. Natural disasters

disproportionately affect people living in developing countries and the most vulnerable

communities within those countries. Over 95 per cent of people killed by natural disasters

are from developing countries (Extreme Weather and Natural Disasters, 2012).

Disaster risk reduction is at the core of the mission of the World Meteorological

Organization (WMO. WMO, through its scientific and technical programs, its network of

Global Meteorological Centers and Regional Specialized Meteorological and Climate

Centers, provide scientific and technical services. This includes observing, detecting,

monitoring, predicting and early warning of a wide range of weather–, climate- and

water-related hazards. Through a coordinated approach, and working with its partners,

WMO addresses the information needs and requirements of the disaster risk management

community in an effective and timely fashion. Every year, disasters related to

meteorological, hydrological and climate hazards cause significant loss of life, and set

back economic and social development by years, if not decades. Between 1980 and 2007,

nearly 7500 natural disasters worldwide took the lives of over 2 million people and

produced economic losses estimated at over 1.2 trillion US dollars. Of this, 90 per cent of

the natural disasters, 71 per cent of casualties and 78 per cent of economic losses were

caused by weather-, climate- water-related hazards such as droughts, floods, windstorms,

tropical cyclones, storm surges, extreme temperatures, landslides and wild fires, or by

health epidemics and insect infestations directly linked to meteorological and

hydrological conditions. Over the past five decades, economic losses related to hydro-

meteorological hazards have increased, but the human toll has fallen dramatically. This is

thanks to scientific advances in forecasting, combined with proactive disaster risk

reduction policies and tools, including contingency planning and early warning systems

in a number of high risk countries (World Meteorological Organization, 2011).

Recent disasters in Haiti and Pakistan in 2010 showed the need to “use

knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all

levels” as articulated in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015. The role of

education for disaster risk reduction strategies can thus be presented according to three
types of activities: 1) Save lives and prevent injuries should a hazardous event occur, 2)

Prevent interruptions to the provision of education, or ensure its swift resumption in the

event of an interruption, and 3) Develop a resilient population that is able to reduce the

economic, social and cultural impacts should a hazardous event occur. Education for

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) takes into account the relationships between society,

environment, economy, and culture and their impacts. It also promotes critical thinking

and problem-solving as well as social and emotional life skills that are essential to the

empowerment of groups threatened or affected by disasters.ESD, through its

interdisciplinary and holistic approach to learning, helps create resilient societies. It

encourages a long-term perspective in decision-making processes, critical thinking, and

holistic and innovative approaches to problem-solving. ESD, therefore, contributes to

DRR while DRR increases the relevance and the quality of education in disaster-prone

areas. UNESCO gives specialized policy advice and technical assistance to affected

governments, UN agencies and non-profit organizations in reactivating education system

in post-disaster situations. It also plays a catalytic role, including advocacy, networking

and participation in inter-agency activities, to ensure that educational needs are met in

post-disaster settings. It is actively involved in post-disaster program such as the

Myanmar Education Recovery Program (MERP) in the Asia-Pacific region. UNESCO

has been playing a valuable role within the UN International Strategy for Disaster

Reduction (ISDR) Thematic Platform on Knowledge and Education. With its ISDR

partner agencies, UNESCO promotes the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction in

national educational plans, school curricula and national strategies, as well as supporting

natural disaster preparedness. UNESCO has promoted Education for Disaster Risk

Reduction at a number of international events, including the workshop on “ESD and

disaster risk reduction: building disaster-resilient societies”, organized during the 2009

Bonn World Conference on ESD (UNESCO, 2011).

Much can be done to minimize the impacts of natural disasters. The Australian

Government recognizes that in order to be sustainable, key sectors of development—such

as health, education, water and sanitation, and food security—must ensure that their

activities and infrastructure are disaster-resilient. Australia, along with most of our

developing country partners, is a signatory to the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–

2015 Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters, the international

blueprint for disaster risk reduction. It highlights that disaster risk reduction, along with

climate change adaptation, is an essential aspect of sustainable development (Australian

Aid, 2011).
 In the period 2000-2009 as many as 85 per cent of the people reported affected by

disasters belonged to the Asia-Pacific Region, where Australia provides most of its

international development assistance (International Federation of the Red Crescent,

World Disaster Report, 2010).

Disasters often follow natural hazards. A disaster's severity depends on how

much impact a hazard has on society and the environment. The scale of the impact in turn

depends on the choices we make for our lives and for our environment. These choices

relate to how we grow our food, where and how we build our homes, what kind of

government we have, how our financial system works and even what we teach in schools.

Each decision and action makes us more vulnerable to disasters - or more resilient to

them. Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks

through systematic efforts to analyse and reduce the causal factors of disasters. Reducing

exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of

land and the environment, and improving preparedness for adverse events are all

examples of disaster risk reduction. Disaster risk reduction includes disciplines like

disaster management, disaster mitigation and disaster preparedness, but DRR is also part

of sustainable development. In order for development activities to be sustainable they

must also reduce disaster risk. On the other hand, unsound development policies will
increase disaster risk - and disaster losses. Thus, DRR involves every part of society,

every part of government, and every part of the professional and private sector (National

Meteorological and Hydrological Services, 2010).

Despite an increasing number of people affected by natural disasters (UNDP-

Nepal, 2009), the management strategies have been inadequate and not well implemented

(UNDP-Nepal, 2009). The impact of disasters is increasing due to the lack of

preparedness, public awareness, effective media reporting and proper news dissemination

(NSDRM, 2009).

Role of media during disasters

During a disaster or public safety emergency, the general public will seek their

information via the news media that are usually in place to cover such events.

Unfortunately this does not always go well and there are occasions when the media can

do more harm than good.

Traditionally in crisis communication, the news media serves as the intermediary

between emergency managers and the public at large. Generally, radio, television, and

print messages reach the largest audience over the greatest distance (Latonero &

Shklovski, 2011). This tradition is still active, but has reached a new stage of evolution

that is changing the concept for both media representative and emergency management
organization. For a couple decades now, the world has lived in a twenty-four hour news

cycle where any new news is considered breaking, whether or not it has significance.

Hyping on a story can provide both the needed exposure of the situation to the public and

also exploit the situation, often leading to oversaturation which can further lead to the

public ignoring significant news.

“The media can have a huge impact on the way that a disaster and the risk issues

involved are defined and perceived by the public as well as the authorities” (Vasterman,

Yzermans, & Dirkzwager, 2005). The risk for turning off the public to a situation can

have immediate impacts to the safety of citizens in the affected area. Understanding how

the public perceives the information should be a consideration for any agency –

emergency management or the media –as this can determine their continued viewing.

From the perspective of the emergency manager, the challenging partnership with

the media is a must have. “News organizations play an invaluable role during times of

natural disaster, but there are associated risks and costs” (Miller & Goidel, 2009, p. 266).

Public messaging following a major event is critical and coordinating that message

requires working closely with the media, on all platforms. To enhance this public

messaging capability, the use of social media has been gaining ground in the past few

years, with Twitter and Facebook as the lead agents. “Social media sites rank as the
fourth most popular source to access emergency information” (Lindsay, 2011).

Emergency managers must stay abreast of these changing platforms and utilize them to

connect with the public and other responding agencies

Agenda-setting

The formation of agenda-setting as a theory can be traced back to the mid 20th

century although the media’s role in shaping an environment and public opinion was

explored before then by journalist Walter Lippmann (McCombs, 1997; Rosenberry &

Vicker, 2009). A more basic approach to defining agenda-setting is given by Shaw and

Martin, as they claim agenda-setting theory addresses how the media tell people what to

think about (Shaw & Martin, 1992). Determining what news will make its way onto the

media agenda and public agenda is dependent upon the factors associated with agenda-

setting theory. Since the initial assertion of media’s ability to effect what the public thinks

about, the theory has been expanded upon. Agenda-setting theory is often considered

from two levels. First level agenda-setting is “focused on the relative salience of issues or

objects,” and second level agenda-setting “examines the relative salience of attributes of

issues or objects” (Weaver, 2007).

One approach that determines what news will make its way onto the media

agenda is the concept of agenda building. Agenda building, according to Weaver and
Elliot, focuses on “how the press interacts with other institutions in society to create

issues of public concern,” and the approach is “concerned with how issues originate or

how subjects of news coverage become issues”.

Content Analysis of News

Content analysis is defined as “any technique for making inferences by

objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages” (Holsti,

1969). According to Dearing and Rogers (1996), “the number of news stories

measures relative salience of an issue of study on the media agenda”. Measuring issue

salience is, therefore, important because the “audience presumably judges the relative

importance of an issue on the basis of the number of media messages about the issue to

which they are exposed” (Dearing & Rogers, 1996, p. 18). Thus, in correlating the media

and the public agendas on an issue, it is generally presumed that the position taken by the

media on an issue, also determines the salience of that issue on the public agenda.

Content analysis includes “the careful examination of human interactions; the analysis of

character portrayals in TV commercials, films, and novels; the computerdriven

investigation of word usage in news releases and political speeches; and so much more”

(Neuendorf, 2002). Within the field of mass communication research, Riffe and Freitag

and Yale and Gilly (as cited in Neuendorf, 2002) observe that “content
 analysis has been the fastest-growing technique over the past 20 years or so.”

Content analysis as a systematic examination and interpretation of communication

dates back to at least the 17th century. However, it was not until the rise of the newspaper

in the early 20th century that the mass production of printed material created a demand

for quantitative analysis of printed words. Berelson’s (1952) definition provides an

underlying basis for textual analysis as a "research technique for the objective, systematic

and quantitative description of the manifest content of communication." Content analysis

consists of categorizing units of texts (i.e. sentences, quasi-sentences, paragraphs,

documents, web pages, etc.) according to their substantive characteristics in order to

construct a dataset that allows the analyst to interpret texts and draw inferences.

RELATED STUDIES

Barnes, et al. (2013) examined media agenda setting by reviewing local, state and

national newspaper articles on Hurricane Katrina. It assessed how media agenda setting

supports disaster management practices. Two coders conducted a content analysis of four

major US newspapers. It was concluded that the media tended to emphasize a greater

need for government responsibility. A negative tone was prominent in depictions of the

responsibility and response of the government and profit-organization, presumably driven

by the public's perception of these as entities as possessing a civic duty and having easily
deployable resources. By highlighting a poor or slow response, the media was able to

challenge state and federal governments to take action.

Wilson (2011) conducted a study on examining the relationship between media

coverage and policy outcomes. After collecting data on thousands of articles, the research

shows that there is some small relationship between media coverage and policy change.

An experiment on online newspapers and perceived topics by Tewksbury and

Althaus (2000) revealed that those who read printed newspapers recalled relatively more

public affairs stories and more details than those who were exposed to the online editions.

In another experiment by d’Haenens et al. (2004), there was no clear pattern as far as

recalling the news in both outlets was concerned.

In 1998 Piotrowski and Armstrong conducted a one page questionnaire

survey, which asked participants to indicate the frequency (daily, every few hours,

hourly) of various information/news media sources on which they relied during the crisis

period of Hurricane Danny. Their results showed that local TV coverage and local radio

reports were major sources of information and news for the public. A minority of

respondents noted using Internet weather sites and weather band radio, while a third

of the sample read the local newspaper. The findings were consistent with prior research.

As Spencer (1992) showed, people especially like TV because of the public’s preference
for visual imagery and dramatic impact.

Following the Mount St. Helens volcano eruption in western Washington in 1986

Hirschburg, Dillman, and BallRokeach found that the mass media were a more important

source of information than interpersonal communication. They said that people continued

to rely on the media even when initial information seemed misleading. After September

11, Wilson Lowrey (2004) did a study to examine dependence on media after the terrorist

attack. He was concerned about why dependency level varies at the individual level, and

what effect this variation has on the individual. Dependence was also high for television

and print, while weaker for interpersonal communication, than radio and the Web.

Lowrey in 2004 found that familiarity with a media type leads to finding that type more

helpful in a crisis, so dependency on that media is greater. In a study conducted

by Papacharissi and Rubin (2000) a survey of 279 college students revealed uses and

gratification theory’s five motivations for using the Internet (ranked): interpersonal

utility, seeking information, passing time, convenience, and entertainment.

PerezLugo argued in her 2004 study that during natural disasters mass media

became a substitute for personal contact. Media provide their members with a

strong sense of identity and purpose and build strong and enduring emotional bonds.

Media offer social support to individuals who might otherwise suffer social isolation.
Dominick (1996) also concluded that media, apart from transmitting information, also

have a linkage and a social utility function. In 1995, in a study of the Loma Prieta

earthquake, Massey uncovered alternative media uses to fulfill not only a need for

information but for companionship during the recovery after the earthquake.

Investigating the characteristics of network television coverage of two natural disasters

occurring within weeks of each other in the fall of 1989, Hurricane Hugo and the Loma

Prieta earthquake, Walters (1993) found that televisions influence as an information

source during normal times carries over to periods of disaster.

SYNTHESIS OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART

Related literatures present that the media can have a huge impact on the way that

a disaster and the risk issues involved are defined and perceived by the public as well as

the authorities. Scheufele and Tewksbury defines agenda-setting as the idea that there is a

strong correlation between the emphasis that media place on certain issues and the

importance attributed to these issues by mass audiences (2007). According to NSDRM

(2009), the impact of disasters is increasing due to the lack of preparedness, public
awareness, effective media reporting and proper news dissemination. The media can have

a huge impact in resolving disaster issues as perceived by the public as well as the

authorities.

Both research conducted by Barnes and Wilson centralized on the relationship of

media coverage on policy outcomes. Tewksbury and Althaus (2000) focused on

newspaper readership whereas Piotrowski, Spencer, Hirshburg, and Walters assessed the

public's dependency on media for information.

No literature and study however has found out to study on the same exact topic

except for the books and studies that cater to its parts.

GAP-BRIDGED BY THE STUDY

Most of the studies focused on traditional media agenda-setting and its effects on

the public’s perception and agenda on issues as well as media dependency. Moreover, the

studies were set on international locale. This study however focused on the implications

of agenda-setting on online news coverage of typhoons on the agenda of the officers of

Municipal Disaster Risk Red Management Office regarding the development of policies

on disaster preparedness, response, prevention and mitigation, and rehabilitation in the

case of typhoons.
Figure 1. CONCEPTUAL PARADIGM

ONLINE MEDIA

NEWSPAPER’S INDEPENDENT TV STATION’S NEWS

WEBSITES ONLINE NEWS SITES SITES

AGENDA-
SETTING ON
DISASTER
COVERAGE

Implications on agenda of
MDRRM officers on
disaster management

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
 The concept that this study tried to identify was the correlation between the

agenda of MDRRM officers on disaster management and the agenda of their preferred

online news sites during disaster reporting. Through a questionnaire, the study tried to

evaluate the online media usage of MDRRM officers and disaster management agenda.

The researcher evaluated agenda of the preferred online news sites through content

analysis and how it relates to the disaster management agenda of MDRRM officers. The

result of this study revealed the implications of online media agenda-setting to the

disaster management agenda of MDRMM officers.

Figure 2. THEORETICAL PARADIGM

MEDIA AGENDA PUBLIC AGENDA POLITICAL POLICY RESPONSE

RESPONSE

ONLINE MEDIA
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This research is founded on the agenda setting theory. Also known as The Agenda

Setting Function of the Mass Media, it was first put forth by Maxwell McCombs and

Donald Shaw in 1972 in Public Opinion Quarterly (you can download the full article

here). They originally suggested that the media sets the public agenda, in the sense that

they may not exactly tell you what to think, but they may tell you what to think about. In

their first article where they brought this theory to light their abstract states:

In choosing and displaying news, editors, newsroom staff, and broadcasters play

an important part in shaping political reality. Readers learn not only about a given

issue, but also how much importance to attach to that issue from the amount of

information in a news story and its position. In reflecting what candidates are

saying during a campaign, the mass media may well determine the important

issues—that is, the media may set the “agenda”of the campaign.

Framing is a quality of communication that leads others to accept one meaning

over another. It is a skill with profound effects on how organizational members

understand and respond to the world in which they live. It is a skill that most successful

leaders possess, yet one that is not often taught. According to Fairhurst & Sarr (1996)
framing consists of three elements: language, thought and forethought. Language helps us

to remember information and acts to transform the way in which we view situations. To

use language, people must have thought and reflected on their own interpretive

frameworks and those of others. Leaders must learn to frame spontaneously in certain

circumstances. Being able to do so had to do with having the forethought to predict

framing opportunities.

When gatekeeping is done, the view of audience is affected. The word gatekeeping

was proposed by Kurt Zadek Lewin in 1943, who was a social psychologist. The theory

was used for mass communication and news dissemination by David Manning White.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms are defined conceptually and operationally:

Agenda-setting. The creation of what the public thinks is important.

Disaster. A sudden event, such as an accident or natural catastrophe that causes

great damage or loss of life.

Disaster Risk Reduction. The concept and practice of reducing disaster risks

through systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal factors of disasters.

Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property,

wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness for
 adverse events are all examples of disaster risk reduction.

Media. The main means of communication (includes Television, radio,

newspapers and Internet.

Mitigation. Minimizing the effects of disaster.

Preparedness. Planning how to respond.

Recovery. Returning the community to normal.

Response. Efforts to minimize the hazards created by a disaster.

CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

This study used the quantitative and qualitative methods of research. Quantitative

data deal primarily with numbers. Quantitative research seeks to establish relationships

between variables and look for and sometimes explain the cause of such relationships.

Qualitative research is more concerned with understanding situations and events from the

point of view of the participants. This utilized correlation procedures to assess the

implications of agenda setting of online news coverage of typhoons on the agenda of

MDRRM officers regarding the implementation of policies on disaster preparedness,

response, prevention and mitigation, and rehabilitation in the case of typhoons.

RESPONDENTS AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE

Respondents were chosen through purposive sampling. Five municipalities in

Camarines Sur were considered in this study. These municipalities included Goa, Tigaon,

Lagonoy, San Jose and Sagnay. These five municipalities were included in the Mines and

Geosciences Bureau (MGB) report in 2010 of the 22 municipalities of Camarines Sur

which are prone to flooding and typhoon-related incidents. The main respondents were

the MDRRM officers.

DATA GATHERING INSTRUMENT

The study used a questionnaire as the primary research instrument. A

questionnaire is one of the most common types of collecting data which composes most

frequently accurate set of questions designed to produce specific information in meeting a

particular need for research about a certain topic and are distributed to the respondents.

The questionnaires in this paper hence served as the basis for reliability and accuracy of

the information needed.

The first part of the questionnaire was designed to elicit personal information on
the respondents name, address, age, gender and occupation.

The second part was intended to inquire about their exposure to news sources

while part three gathered data on news source preference. Part four assessed the

respondents’ online media usage. Finally, the last part gathered data on their perspectives

on disaster management. The data for this part were ranked and then correlated with the

ranking of issues in the favored online news sites retrieved and subjected to content

analysis.

DATA-GATHERING PROCEDURE

The questionnaires were validated before they were distributed accordingly. An

informal interview was also conducted for verification. The questionnaires were then

given to the respondents. Data regarding the preferred online news sites of the

respondents were summed up. Articles published from July 1- July 31, 2016 regarding

typhoons, from the top three preferred online news sites of the respondents were retrieved

from the news websites and analyzed to determine their agenda. Several categories were

used in coding the articles. Data were summed up and used to determine the significant

relationship between the online news agenda and the agenda and perception of MDRRM

officers on disaster management in the case of typhoons.

STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF DATA

The statistical tools to be used in the study are Percentage, Weighted Mean and

Spearman's Rank Correlation.

Percentage. The numbers of response were tabulated, evaluated, and interpreted.

The items of the scores were added, divided by the total number of responses,

and then multiply the quotients by one hundred percent. The formula is:

P = R/N × 100%

Where:

P - Percentage

R - Number of respondents

N - Total number of responses

Weighted Mean. This tool was used to identify the average responses from the

obtained data. The weighted average formula is used to calculate the average

value of a particular set of numbers with different. The formula is:

Weighted mean = Σwx/Σw

Where:

Σ = the sum of (in other words…add them up!).

w = the weights.

x = the value.
 Spearman Rank-Order Correlation. This is a non parametric measure of

association based on the ranks of the data values. The salience of issues and

attributes correlations were determined through Spearman’s Rank Correlation.

This statistical device helped to show whether typhoon and disaster-management

related issues ranked highly in the three newspapers have an effect on what

MDRRM officers perceive as mos important in disaster management. Therefore,

the Spearman’s Rank Correlation helped to establish the strengths of relationships

involving salience of issues in each of the news sites to their perspectives. Also,

the tool was utilized to measure the strengths of relationships involving cumulative

salience of issues to the dependent variable. The formula is:

Where:

d = difference between ranks

d2 = difference squared.

n= number of pairs of data

 Chapter 4

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This is the presentation of data with a comparative analysis on the perceptions of

the respondents on disaster management and the agenda and focus of the preferred online

news sites by the respondents on disaster reporting. The presentation is sequenced based

on the respondent’s profile, exposure to news sources, news source preference, online

media usage, perceptions of MDRRM officers on disaster management, salience of issues

on online news sites and the effect of online news agenda setting on their perspectives.

Respondents’ Profile

The data includes the age and gender of the respondents.

Table 1. Respondents’ Profile

Respondents’ Profile No. of responses %

Age
21-30 2 11.8
31-40 4 23.5
41-50 10 58.8
51-60 1 5.9
 Gender
Male 12 70.6
Female 5 29.4

Table 1 show that 70.6% or majority of the respondents are male. 29.4% are

female. 58.8% have ages between 41-50 years old. 23.5% are between 31-40 years old. 2

of the officers are in the 21-30 age brackets. The least percentage of respondents were the

oldest of the group.

Exposure to news sources

Table 2. Frequency of Exposure to news sources

NEWS SOURCES WEIGHTED MEAN VERBAL

INTERPRETATION
Television 4.88 Always
Radio 4.18 Often
Newspapers 3.41 Seldom
Newspaper’s Websites 3.65 Often
Independent online news sites 3.06 Seldom
News-related links on social 3.94 Often

media

Table 2 presents the frequency of exposure to various news sources. Respondents

said that they always watch news on television. Getting a weighted mean of 4.18,
respondents often tune in on news on radio and reads news on newspaper’s websites and

social media. With a weighted mean of 3.41 and 3.06 respectively, MDRRM officers

were seldom exposed to newspapers and independent online news sites.

Table 3. Access to devices at home

No. of responses %
Television 17 100
Radio 11 64.7
Smartphone 12 70.6
Laptop/PC 10 58.8
Internet 6 35.3

All of the respondents have televisions at home. Almost 71% said that they have

access to smart phones and 64.7% own a radio. 58.8% have laptop/PCs while 35.3% have

access to internet at home.

News source preference

Table 4. News Source Preference

News Source No. of responses Rank

Printed Newspaper 1 5
Newspaper’s Websites 2 4
Independent Online News Sites 3 3
Television 7 1
TV Station Websites 4 2
 Radio 0 6.5
Social Media 0 6.5

Table 4 presents the data about the preferred news source of MDRRM officers

when seeking information and updates regarding typhoons. Majority prefer television, to

which all respondents have access to at home. This indicates that accessibility to the news

source had an implication to the respondents’ preference on news sources. TV station

websites came in second with 4 responses and 3 for independent online news sites. This

was followed by newspaper’s websites and printed newspapers. Noticeably, radio and

social media were the least favored by the respondents. The table shows that next to

television, MDRRM officers preferred online news.

Table 5. Credibility assigned to news source

News Source No. of responses Rank

Printed Newspaper 0 3.25
Newspaper’s Websites 2 3
Independent Online News 4 2

Sites
Television 11 1
TV Station Websites 0 3.25
Radio 0 3.25
Social Media 0 3.25
 Table 5 indicates that 11 respondents said that television, to which all respondents

have access to at home and which majority favored over all the other news sources, is the

most credible and up-to-date in disaster reporting in case of typhoons. 23. 5% chose in

dependent online news sites while the other 2 respondents said that newspaper’s websites

were more credible. TV station’s websites, radio, and social media were accounted with

the least credibility. Next to television, online news sites in the form of independent

online news sites and newspaper’s websites were seen as credible sources of information.

Online Media Usage

Table 6. Online activity

Activity No. of responses %

Chat 1 5.9
E-mail 4 23.5
Blog 0 0
Read News 12 70.6

70.6% of the respondents said that they mostly read news online.

23.5% said that they access online mostly to make use of-email. 5.9% chat online while

none of the respondents own any blog nor read blogs. From this, it can be inferred that

MDRMM officers do access the internet to read online news.

Table 7. Main reasons for reading online news

Reasons No. of responses %

Photos/videos 6 35.3
Keep track of 17 100

breaking news
Free of charge 13 76.5
Interactive 8 47.1
Links to further 7 41.2

news
No reason 0 0
Never Read 0 0

All respondents said that they keep want to keep track of breaking

news that is why they read online news. 76.5 % said that they like reading online news

because it is free of charge while 47.1% said that it is interactive. 41.2 % reads online

news because they link to further news. 35.3 % are interested with more photos/videos

regarding certain events.

Table 8. Online news readership in a week

Days No. of responses %

0 0 0
1 0 0
2 1 5.9
3 4 23.5
4 3 17.6
5 3 17.6
6 3 17.6
7 3 17.6

The table above shows that 4 out 17 respondents or 23.5% reads online news at

least 3 days in an average week. All 17 respondents read online news though at various

frequency. From this we can infer that MDRRM officers, though of various age groups

they maybe, have learned to utilize the internet and online media to help them in seeking

information.

Table 9. Online news sites preferences

Online news sites No. of responses %

ABS CBN News 15 88.2
Inquirer.net 16 94.1
Rappler 10 58.8
PhilSTAR.com 0 0
Manila Bulletin 0 0
InterAksyon 0 0
 Kicker Daily news 0 0
Sun Star 0 0
The Manila Times 0 0
Journal Online 0 0
GMA News 5 29.4
PhilNews 5 29.4
Inewmedia.org 0 0

The table above shows that 94.1 % or majority of the respondents read news from

Inquirer.net, a newspaper’s website, to seek updates on typhoons. 88% said that they were

reading news from ABS CBN news’ online counterpart while 10 respondents read

Rappler news, an independent online news site. GMA News and philNews were chosen

by 29.4% of the respondents. Therefore the top three favored online news sites of

MDRRM officers were: Inquirer.net, ABS CBN.news and Rappler.

Agenda on Disaster Management

Table 8. Effectivity of municipal disaster management policy

Indicators No. of responses %

Effective/ very effective/ strong support 10 58.8
Need for practical application of DM 3 17.6

policy/policy to be more practical

Effective to define roles/allocation of resources 4 23.5
Not/ less than effective or adequate 0 0
Have informal planning/arrangements 0 0
Critical of DM policy/politics 0 0
 10 or 58.8% of the respondents rated their municipal DM policy as effective while

the minority thinks that there is still a need for practical application of DM policy. 23.5%

said it is effective enough to define roles and allocate resources.

Table 9. Perception on the prioritization of disaster management principles and practices in the four

phases of disaster management

PRACTICES No. of responses Rank

Mitigation
Good evacuation plans 15 1
Environmental and design standards 14 2
Vulnerability analysis 2 5
Zoning and land use management 0 6
Preventive health care 12 3
Public education 8 4
Preparedness
Identify/assess environmental vulnerabilities and 0 5

threats
Review emergency management policies, plans, and 4 4

procedures for potential environmental impacts

Emergency preparedness planning 14 3
Evacuating people from threatened location 16 2
Warning systems 17 1
Response
Rescue 12 1
Relocation 6 5
Providing food and water 9 4
 Preventing disease and disability 3 6
Repairing vital services eg. Telecom and transport 10 3
Emergency health care 11 2
Recovery
Rebuilding infrastructures 11 2
Debris removal and clean-up (e.g., for hazardous 17 1

materials/wastes problems)
Health care 6 4
Temporary housing 3 6
Financial Grants 2 7
Counseling Programs 1 8
Economic impact studies 4 5
Health and Safety education 7 3

15 respondents said that good evacuation plans should be prioritized in the

mitigation practices. Focusing on environmental and design standards should be

prioritized next according to the respondents. 12 respondents said that preventive health

care should be focused upon. As for preparedness, warning systems undoubtedly ranked

first in the MDRRM officers’ agenda followed by emergency preparedness planning.

Rescue operations, emergency health care and repairing vital services were deemed as

priorities for the response phase. Meanwhile, debris recovery and clean-up were viewed

by all 17 respondents as a priority during the recovery phase followed by rebuilding

infrastructures and health care.

Table 10. Prioritization of the four phases of disaster management

Phases No. of responses % Rank

Mitigation 2 11.8 3
Preparedness 11 70.1 1
Response 3 18.8 2
Recovery 1 5.9 4

11 or 70.1% of the respondents said that preparedness should be the focus of local

disaster management during typhoons. Response came in as the second priority of the

MDRRM officers. This was followed by mitigation while recovery was the least

prioritized phase.

Table 11. Perception on disaster management related issues

This table showed the common disaster-related topics and focus on disaster coverage they

perceived to be of the most importance and should be prioritized and focused on by local governments

in the case of typhoons.

Issues/topics No. of responses Rank

Death/ Injury cases 8 1
Health care 3 3
Shelter/Infrastructures 2 4
 Food Relief operations 5 2

Death and injury cases ranked first with eight MDRRM officers accounting it

with the highest importance. Food relief operations came in second followed by Health

care and lastly, shelter and infrastructures.

Content Analysis of Typhoon-related news from July 1-August 10, 2016 on Top

Preferred Online News Sites

Articles related to typhoons published from July 1-August 10, 2016 were

retrieved from the top 3 online news sites. Keywords including “disaster” and “typhoons”

were used for article identification. Articles that made only minimal reference to the

subjects (e.g., obituaries, indexes, and news briefs) were excluded from the sample.
The top three preferred online news sites were news.abs-cbn, a TV station’s website,

Inquirer.net, a newspaper’s website and Rappler, an independent online news site.

Table 12. Number of Articles

Online news sites No. of Articles

news.abs-cbn. 60
Inquirer.net 51
Rappler 57
TOTAL 168

60 typhoon-related articles were retrieved from news.abs-cbn. 57 articles from

Rappler and 51 articles from Inquirer.net, all relating to typhoons were retrieved and

gathered.

Table 13. Prioritization on Disaster management phases- Agenda of typhoon-related

news of INQUIRER.net vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers.

Phases Frequency Rank Ranking by

MDRRM
officers
Mitigation 18 4 3
 Preparedness 52 1 1

Response 49 2 2

Recovery 48 3 4

Mitigation ranked first in both the ranking of Inquirer.net and that of MDRRM

officers. This indicates that both MDRRM officers and Inquirer.net set Preparedness

phase as their top agenda. The same is the result with response which ranked both second

in their agenda. Recovery however ranked third in the agenda of Inquirer.net whereas it

was set as the last agenda of MDRRM officers.

Table 14. Prioritization on Disaster management phases- Agenda of typhoon-related

news of ABS-CBN.news vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers.

Phases Frequency Rank Ranking by

MDRRM
officers
Mitigation 13 4 3

Preparedness 61 1 1

Response 35 3 2

Recovery 43 2 4

Preparedness was set as the highest agenda of both ABS-CBN news and MDRRM

officers. Response ranked second in the agenda-setting of news.abs-cbn whereas it was

the last ranking agenda set by MDRRM officers.

Table 15. Prioritization on Disaster management phases- Agenda of typhoon-related

news of Rappler vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers.

Phases Frequency Rank Ranking by

MDRMM
officers
Mitigation 9 4 3

Preparedness 39 1 1

Response 23 3 2

Recovery 38 2 4

Preparedness also ranked first in both the Rappler and MDRRM agenda-setting.

Results were similar with that of the ranking of news.abs-cbn.

Table 16. CUMULATIVE. Prioritization on Disaster management phases- Agenda of

typhoon-related news of online news sites vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers.

Phases Frequency Rank Ranking by

MDRMM
officers
Mitigation 40 4 3

Preparedness 152 1 1

Response 107 3 2
 Recovery 129 2 4

Cumulatively, preparedness ranked first in both ranking of online news sites and

MDRMM officers. Response came in next followed by mitigation and recovery.

Table 17. Spearman’s Rank Correlation analysis of Agenda of typhoon-related online

news and agenda of MDRRM officers on disaster management

Correlation Interpretation
INQUIRER.NET 0.8 Very strong
relationship
News.abs-cbn 0.4 Strong
relationship
Rappler.com 0.4 Strong
relationship
CUMULATIVE 0.2 Weak
relationship

In the Spearman’s Rank Correlation Analysis, Inquirer.net registered the highest

correlation with 0.8 value. This suggests that there is a very strong relationship between

the agenda-setting of Inquirer.net news and the agenda set by MDRRM officers on

disaster management. News.abs-cbn and Rappler had similar correlations and suggests

that there is a moderate relationship between agenda-setting of the two news sites and

agenda set by MDRRM officers. Cumulatively, there is a weak correlation between

 agenda-setting of online new sites and agenda set by MDRRM officers.

Table 18. CUMULATIVE. Prioritization on Disaster management practices- Agenda of

typhoon-related news of online news sites vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers.

PRACTICES No. of Rank Ranking by

responses MDRMM
officers
Mitigation
Good evacuation plans 3 4 1
Environmental and design standards 0 6 2
Vulnerability analysis 6 2 5
Zoning and land use management 5 3 6
Preventive health care 8 1 3
Public education 1 5 4
Preparedness
Identify/assess environmental vulnerabilities and 17 4 5

threats
Review emergency management policies, plans, and 4 5 4

procedures for potential environmental impacts

Emergency preparedness planning 23 3 3
Evacuating people from threatened location 48 2 2
Warning systems 83 1 1
Response
Rescue 63 1 1
Relocation 58 2 5
Providing food and water 11 5 4
Preventing disease and disability 4 6 6
Repairing vital services eg. Telecom and transport 37 3 3
Emergency health care 23 4 2
Recovery
Rebuilding infrastructures 21 2 2
Debris removal and clean-up (e.g., for hazardous 23 1 1

materials/wastes problems)
Health care 7 6 4
Temporary housing 12 4 6
Financial Grants 10 5 7
Counseling Programs 2 7 8
Economic impact studies 1 8 5
Health and Safety education 13 3 3

Preventive health care ranked first in the agenda set by the online news sites whereas

MDRRM officers placed it third in their ranking. Both warning systems placed first under

the preparedness phase. Rescue was ranked first by both online news sites and MDRRM

officers for the response phase while debris clean-up also got the top rank for recovery

phase.

Table 19. Correlation analysis. Prioritization on Disaster management practices- Agenda

of typhoon-related news of online news sites vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers

PRACTICES COMPUTED INTERPRETATION

VALUE
MITIGATION -0.371 NO RELATIONSHIP

PREPAREDNESS 0.9 VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIP

RESPONSE 0.6 STRONG RELATIONSHIP

RECOVERY 0.738 STRONG RELATIONSHIP

 The table shows that that there is a negative relationship between agenda set

by officers and the online news sites. The data shows that there is very strong relationship

between the two for preparedness phase and a strong relationship for response and

recovery phase.

Table 20. CUMULATIVE. Prioritization of issues disaster-related issues- Agenda of

typhoon-related news of online news sites vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers.

Phases Frequency Rank Ranking by

MDRMM
officers
Death/ Injury cases 73 1 1

Health care 22 4 3

Shelter/Infrastructures 20 3 4

Food Relief operations 32 2 2

The table shows the ranking of disaster-related issues as set by online news sites

and MDRRM officers. Death and injury cases was ranked first among the issues that

were prioritized by online news sites in disaster reporting followed by food relief

operations which was also ranked second place by both sides. Health care was ranked

third by MDRRM officers and last by online news sites. Shelter and infrastructures was

ranked third by online news sites whereas it ranked fourth on the based on the MDRRM
officers’ perceived importance.

Table 21. Correlation analysis. Prioritization of disaster-related issues- Agenda of

typhoon-related news of online news sites vs. Agenda of MDRRM officers.

COMPUTED INTERPRETATION
VALUE
DISASTER-RELATED 0.8 VERY STRONG
ISSUES RELATIONSHIP

This shows that there is a very strong positive relationship between the ranking of

disaster-related issues of MDRRM officers and the salience of he issue set by online

news sites.

CHAPTER 5
 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Question no. 1. What is the level of exposure of Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management (MDRRM) officers in online media?

Summary: Respondents said that they always watch news on television. Getting

a weighted mean of 4.18, respondents often tune in on news on radio and reads news on

newspaper’s websites and social media. With a weighted mean of 3.41 and 3.06

respectively, MDRRM officers were seldom exposed to newspapers and independent

online news sites. All of the respondents have televisions at home. Almost 71% said that

they have access to smart phones and 64.7% own a radio. 58.8% have laptop/PCs while

35.3% have access to internet at home.

70.6% of the respondents said that they mostly read news online.

23.5% said that they access online mostly to make use of-email. 5.9% chat online while

none of the respondents own any blog nor read blogs. From this, it can be inferred that

MDRMM officers do access the internet to read online news.

All respondents said that they keep want to keep track of breaking news that is

why they read online news. 76.5 % said that they like reading online news because it is

free of charge while 47.1% said that it is interactive. 41.2 % reads online news because

they link to further news. 35.3 % are interested with more photos/videos regarding certain
events.

23.5% reads online news at least 3 days in an average week. All respondents read

online news though at various frequency.

Conclusions: Based on the findings, the following conclusions were drawn:

Television is still the top news source due to accessibility.

Next to television, MDRMM officers’ source of news is online media.

MDRRM officers were seldom exposed to newspapers and independent

online news sites.

Their main reason for reading online news is to keep track of breaking

news.

All the respondents read online news though at various frequencies. From

this we can infer that MDRRM officers, though of various age groups they

maybe, have learned to utilize the internet and online media to help them in

seeking information.

Recommendations:

MDRRM officers, being in the front line of disaster management services,

should be always updated and informed in the case of typhoons. Thus, they

should learn to utilize online media which is easily accessible and up-to-date.
Question no. 2. Which news websites do Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management (MDRRM) officers’ access for disaster-related information and updates

specifically in the case of typhoons?

Summary: Majority of the respondents read news from Inquirer.net, a

newspaper’s website, to seek updates on typhoons. 88% said that they were reading news

from ABS CBN news’ online counterpart while 10 respondents read Rappler news, an

independent online news site. GMA News and philNews were chosen by 29.4% of the

respondents.

Conclusions: The top three favored online news sites of MDRRM officers were:

Inquirer.net, ABS CBN.news and Rappler. Inquirer.net is a newspaper’s website-the

online counterpart of one of the Philippine’s top daily newspaper, The Philippine Daily

Inquirer. From this it can be inferred that Inquirer.net was favored most by the MDRRM

officers because it is the online counterpart of a well-known daily newspaper. News.abs-

cbn is owned by ABS-CBN, one of the leading TV station’s in the country. Rappler, on

the other hand, is an independent online news sites which have gained fast popularity

over the year.

Recommendations:

MDRMM officers should explore more options for online news reading so
 as to not focus only on the issues and agenda set by a favored and specific online

news site. More diverse reading is recommended.

Question no. 3. What is the focus or agenda set by these online news sites during the

coverage of typhoons?

Summary: Mitigation ranked first in the ranking of Inquirer.net.

Preparedness was set as the highest agenda of both ABS-CBN and Rappler.

Response ranked second in the agenda-setting of news.abs-cbn .

Preventive health care ranked first in the agenda set by the online news sites

whereas MDRRM officers placed it third in their ranking. Both warning systems placed

first under the preparedness phase. Rescue was ranked first by both online news sites and

MDRRM officers for the response phase while debris clean-up also got the top rank for

recovery phase.

Death and injury cases was ranked first among the issues that were prioritized by

online news sites in disaster reporting followed by food relief operations . Shelter and

infrastructures was ranked third why Health care was ranked last by online news sites.

Conclusions: Cumulatively, preparedness ranked first in the ranking of online

news sites. Under it , warning systems were prioritized.

Recommendations:
Question no. 4. What are the perceptions and agenda of Municipal Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management (MDRRM) officers regarding the implementation of policies

on disaster management in the case of typhoons?

Summary: 58.8% of the respondents rated their municipal DM policy as effective

while the minority thinks that there is still a need for practical application of DM policy.

23.5% said it is effective enough to define roles and allocate resources.

15 respondents said that good evacuation plans should be prioritized in the

mitigation practices. Focusing on environmental and design standards should be

prioritized next according to the respondents. 12 respondents said that preventive health

care should be focused upon. As for preparedness, warning systems undoubtedly ranked

first in the MDRRM officers’ agenda followed by emergency preparedness planning.

Rescue operations, emergency health care and repairing vital services were deemed as

priorities for the response phase. Meanwhile, debris recovery and clean-up were viewed

by all 17 respondents as a priority during the recovery phase followed by rebuilding

infrastructures and health care. 11 or 70.1% of the respondents said that preparedness

should be the focus of local disaster management during typhoons. Response came in as

the second priority of the MDRRM officers. This was followed by mitigation while
recovery was the least prioritized phase.

Death and injury cases ranked first with eight MDRRM officers accounting it

with the highest importance. Food relief operations came in second followed by Health

care and lastly, shelter and infrastructures.

Conclusions: Preparedness was perceived to be the most important and is

prioritized most by MDRRM officers. Recovery was the least prioritized. Good

evacuation plans, effective warning systems , rescue operations, debris recovery and

clean-up are the deemed as the the top practices that should be focused upon in

mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery phase respectively.

Recommendations: A coordinated approach is needed to develop and implement

disaster policies for impending and future crises.

Question no. 5. What is the implication of agenda setting of online news coverage of

disasters on the agenda of MDRRM officers on disaster management in the case of

typhoons?

Summary: Preparedness was set as the highest agenda of both ABS-CBN news

and MDRRM officers. Response ranked second in the agenda-setting of news.abs-cbn

whereas it was the last ranking agenda set by MDRRM officers.

 Preparedness also ranked first in both the Rappler and MDRRM agenda-setting.

Results were similar with that of the ranking of news.abs-cbn.

Cumulatively, preparedness ranked first in both ranking of online news sites and

MDRMM officers. Response came in next followed by mitigation and recovery.

In the Spearman’s Rank Correlation Analysis, Inquirer.net registered the highest

correlation with 0.8 value. This suggests that there is a very strong relationship between

the agenda-setting of Inquirer.net news and the agenda set by MDRRM officers on

disaster management. News.abs-cbn and Rappler had similar correlations and suggests

that there is a moderate relationship between agenda-setting of the two news sites and

agenda set by MDRRM officers. Cumulatively, there is a weak correlation between

agenda-setting of online new sites and agenda set by MDRRM officers.

Preventive health care ranked first in the agenda set by the online news sites whereas

MDRRM officers placed it third in their ranking. Both warning systems placed first under

the preparedness phase. Rescue was ranked first by both online news sites and MDRRM

officers for the response phase while debris clean-up also got the top rank for recovery

phase.

The table shows that that there is a negative relationship between agenda set

by officers and the online news sites. The data shows that there is very strong relationship
between the two for preparedness phase and a strong relationship for response and

recovery phase.

The table shows the ranking of disaster-related issues as set by online news sites

and MDRRM officers. Death and injury cases was ranked first among the issues that

were prioritized by online news sites in disaster reporting followed by food relief

operations which was also ranked second place by both sides. Health care was ranked

third by MDRRM officers and last by online news sites. Shelter and infrastructures was

ranked third by online news sites whereas it ranked fourth on the based on the MDRRM

officers’ perceived importance.

This shows that there is a very strong positive relationship between the ranking of

disaster-related issues of MDRRM officers and the salience of he issue set by online

news sites.