 I believe  That disasters and emergencies are personal tragedies to the victims that no one else can ever comprehend; That they are a source of grief and concern to the community; and That they are trauma-filled experience for the reporters.

 Do not pass judgment on your interviewee; Avoid intruding upon the grief of victims, but if circumstances force you to, then be sensitive;  If someone doesn’t want to talk to you, respect that and just leave a contact number just in case he/she would want to talk later. Never force anyone to talk when they are not ready, not resort to talking to children without getting the permission of their parents or guardians;

 Make sure the person understands the terms of your interview. We as outsiders and the media may by just our mere presence, bring undeserved hope that will make the personal tragedy/loss even worse because we are not there for deliverance but to tell the story;

 Be sensitive to the customs and culture of the affected community;  Employ as many sources as possible (government, NGO, first-person, etc/multisourcing);  Your emotional reaction, while tempered, should not be ignored.  Be human and humane at all times;  Always give respect and dignity to the victims. This means knowing when to back off and stop your questioning and probing;  In a disaster or emergency, the worst sin is to talk too much. Listen, let the people tell their story. Never prod. Line of questioning should not be interrogative; be versatile;  Consult social workers in interviewing victims of disaster especially those who have experienced trauma.

Always be accurate; use pertinent details to describe the victims, situations, and environment; Provide context to your story through research and parallel interviews of experts outside the disaster scene; Remember, your coverage will have an impact on your community. The trauma can become worse by the way you treat a story and a person; Do not sensationalize or exaggerate sufferings; should exercise utmost prudence in choice of language; Editors should prudently exercise their discretionary powers in choosing photographs of the victims taking into account the risk of unwanted exposure and the harm it may cause to the victims;

Inform public where the families are (specific evacuation sites and who the key persons are) and what their situations are for the information of relatives who may not know where to reach the victims; Write to raise public awareness and mobilize public support; Photos and graphics should not inflict more trauma on the victims or depict them in an undignified manner. _______________________________________  Launched and approved by the PPI members 28th May 2008