Technical communication is always closely intertwined with disasters in the modern technologically interconnected era. In most cases the communication causes, affects, or has an important hand in responding to these contemporary disasters.  Communication in general is important to a functioning society, but technical communication in these dire situations is critical. Guidelines and rules for communication in standard times are intensified with time constraints, increased audiences, and life-or-death decisions that come along with these disasters. The affected parties and uninformed look to the experts for steadfast, consistent, and accurate data and advice. These heightened stakes make study of technical communication in these specific instances extremely instructive. Comparing and contrasting successes and failures in these disaster situations show us which facets and principles of technical communication truly shape its effectiveness.

The four disasters examined in this case study all show the importance of technical communication to at risk parties. In these heightened circumstances, parties are more likely to take technical communication without question and act directly based on what they see as facts and truth. This places a greater ethical responsibility on the writers to do all they can to clearly and accurately communicate the information to the people that need it most. The first example of this was shown with an example of a poor PowerPoint presentation detailing damage to the Columbia space shuttle. This vital information was not communicated clearly to the decision makers even though the data was more straightforward, and seven lives were lost as a result. A second example is with the inconsistent risk communication to New Orleans citizens before landfall of Hurricane Katrina. The technical information was not communicated clearly to those that needed it due to vague instructions and inability to reach at risk parties with government spokespeople. This resulted in thousands of deaths and thousands more stranded for long periods of time when the need for evacuation was not communicated effectively. A third example is with the false ballistic missile alert in Hawaii in 2018. The message effectively reached all cellphones and media in the state, but the problem was with content and rhetoric. Despite being a false alarm, the alert raised concerns with citizens not knowing what to do if an actual situation should arise. The alert also showed the power and ethical impact that an all-encompassing message can have, with many saying their final goodbyes and experiencing mental and psychological stress. A last example showed the positive impact of technical communication following a disaster in educating the public about affected areas and opportunities for aid. The rise of the internet and private websites has allowed information to be broadcast much more quickly, but sometimes content can be diluted with the plethora of voices. A combination of central based and multi node communication can help to balance the content and reach needs.

In summary, these cases show that technical communication can be critical to affected parties in times of disasters. This responsibility leads to ethical obligations that make content, rhetorical choices, and choice of media to be crucial decisions. Messages need to be concise and accurate for comprehension by all parties, and communicators need to be considering impacts with every choice. The successes and failures learned from these cases studied show not only how technical communication can be successful in disasters, but provides guidelines to be followed for all technical communications in all times to ensure effectiveness and ethical soundness.

 

Case Studies