Submitted by David Nsiyonna Luganda, Melissa Eveleigh and Tim Woods
31 May 2025

Spread the word: working with the media to tell people about anticipatory action

Anticipatory action has seen a positive shift in recent times, moving from a buzzword to a rallying cry around which many groups are now coordinating. At the growing number of dialogue platforms and dedicated sessions at humanitarian events, the rooms hum with excited chatter about “anticipatory action for this hazard, anticipatory action in that country”, alongside ambitious ideas about how and where it could be applied next.

Yet in 2023, funding for anticipatory action frameworks made up less than 1 per cent of total international humanitarian assistance. If this approach is to increase in scale, more people need to be convinced of its benefits. And for that to happen, they need to know about it. This is where the media has a critical role to play.

Working with the media to raise awareness of anticipatory action – among governments, humanitarians and the wider public – can take many forms. This blog looks at some effective approaches used to date.

Who are ‘the media’?

A policy note from BBC Media Action defines the media as “print, broadcast and digital media forms”. This includes the ‘traditional’ media, such as newspapers, TV stations and the radio, with both national and local channels being relevant for anticipatory action. Increasingly, it also refers to ‘new’ media, such as social media platforms (e.g., Facebook), mass-messaging channels (e.g., WhatsApp) and online broadcasting services (e.g., YouTube). While the reliability of the information shared on these newer media channels varies greatly, they are widely used in many countries, often comprising many people’s main source of information.

Star power: how celebrities can help to amplify messages

Nepal, a highly disaster-prone country, has a vibrant anticipatory action community. But to inform more people about the importance of acting ahead of hazards, practitioners there knew they needed to reach beyond their immediate professional circles.

The solution? Ask Prakash Saput, a much-loved Nepali performer, to develop a street drama that explains to communities why they need to listen to early warning messages and take anticipatory action. “He comes from a Dalit background - one of the most marginalized castes in the country - and despite facing significant barriers, he has built a successful career as a musician,” explains Shreyasi Chhetri, Danish Red Cross. “More importantly, he has consistently used his platform to raise awareness of social issues through songs rooted in traditional Nepali folk styles, which resonate deeply with local communities.”

Through music, song and dance, this captivating performance has been widely shared among communities; for example, it has over 106,000 views on the Facebook page of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. While people may have found it through their affection for Prakash Saput rather than an interest in anticipatory action, they will hopefully have taken away the core message at its heart.

Given Prakash Supat’s popularity and credibility, we believed that delivering our messages through him would significantly increase their reach and impact.

Shreyasi Chhetri Danish Red Cross

Screen addicts: using TV to raise awareness of anticipatory action in Kenya

The regional dialogue platforms are an effective forum for debating anticipatory action, but these events are largely ‘preaching to the converted’: those in attendance almost always have, at the very least, an interest in this approach.

But during the 1st Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform, held in October 2024 in Mombasa, Kenya, the audience extended beyond those in the venue. On the second evening, a discussion about anticipatory action took place on Citizen TV Kenya, a popular online TV channel with almost 5.7 million subscribers on YouTube.

This was possible thanks to long-term relationship-building by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), which co-hosted the dialogue platform, with different media outlets in the region. “ICPAC reached out to Citizen TV about extended visibility for anticipatory action,” explains George Otieno, ICPAC. “ICPAC has longstanding partnerships with media outlets in the region, which regularly participate in our events.”

The discussion increased awareness and interest among the community on the role of anticipatory action in risk management, with over 250,000 viewers online.

George Otieno ICPAC

Local channels for local people

As well as being used to increase awareness of anticipatory action as an approach, the media can also play a pivotal role in actually delivering the information that communities need to protect themselves. One example comes from the region around Mount Elgon in Uganda, where the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda uses radio programmes to issue alerts about landslides. This has proven to be an effective way of reaching communities in vulnerable areas, giving them time to evacuate when necessary. "Radio programmes, including community radio, are instrumental in disseminating climate information to the ‘last mile’," confirms David Nsiyonna Luganda from the Network of Climate Journalists in the Greater Horn of Africa (NECJOGHA).

This example is part of a wider recent trend in the Greater Horn of Africa, where media reporting has expanded beyond traditional news coverage to play a more active role in community well-being. This is beneficial for anticipatory action, with a shift from (just) post-hazard reporting to more proactive community engagement and using the media to issue warnings of imminent hazards.  

Another shift in the region is the growth of interactive and participatory reporting, which engages communities in co-creating solutions. For example, NECJOGHA, in collaboration with Resurgence under the DARAJA project, is working with vulnerable people in informal settlements in Kampala to design new weather-information products that are easily understandable and actionable for others in the community.

Tips for working with the media

For actors and organizations looking to help scale up anticipatory action, working with the media is a proven way to inform people: about what this approach is, how it works and how it makes a difference. But there are hundreds and thousands of other projects, approaches and organizations seeking to do the same and garner the media’s attention. How can anticipatory action raise its head above the crowd?

Be proactive

Media professionals and communicators are often actively seeking out stories and information with a scientific angle, such as new climate trends and data they can report. This is a positive opportunity for the scientific community, including weather and climate services and national hydrometeorological agencies. Yet it has often been the case that media outlets are met with a lack of response from some scientific organizations when approached, perhaps due to issues of trust or competing priorities.

Training for scientists and weather/climate agencies in how to work with the media can help to bridge this gap. Such efforts have already yielded positive results, with meteorologists and researchers being more willing to communicate openly with and through the media. Given the instrumental role the media can play in the advancement of anticipatory action, a greater focus on how to report on hazards, weather and the climate more effectively can only benefit all sides – and the communities who will ultimately benefit from more, and better, information through their preferred media channels.

Promote the news, not your organization

Media outlets and journalists want to tell a story. Pitch ideas that have a clear human-interest angle, rather than trying to promote your organization or event. Anticipatory actions that saved lives ahead of a flood are a news story; holding a workshop where people discuss this is not (or at least, much less so).

Find out where people get their information – and in which languages

If you want to reach a particular audience, find out which channels they use to get their news. For local communities, this could be a popular radio programme or TV show; for humanitarian practitioners, it could be a social media channel with dedicated groups or forums. Find them and engage with them and engage regularly, not just when you need something from them!

Build relationships with media organizations

Journalists are (very) busy people. Your first approach might not get a response, nor the second... but when they see a potential story, they will get in touch. And, in the meantime, there are ways to pique their interest: invite them to events about anticipatory action, arrange interviews with experts, provide photos to accompany the story... and keep trying!

This blog was written by David Nsiyonna Luganda (NECJOGHA), Melissa Eveleigh (BBC Media Action) and Tim Woods (Anticipation Hub).

NECJOGHA trains journalists in how to report on potential hazards before they impact communities, thereby promoting proactive communication. It has also received support from the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC), which has provided regular training to NECJOGHA members, for example about how to use seasonal media action plans for proactive reporting and communicating ICPAC’s climate products.  

The broadcast on Citizen TV in Kenya was supported by Start Network, a member of the Eastern Africa Regional Technical Working Group on Anticipatory Action.

Photos (top to bottom)

Conger Design via Pixabay; Rod Waddington via Flickr; Nepal Red Cross Society; Citizen TV; Nathan Dumalo via Unsplash.