Playing Politics-why the U.s. Government Inadequately Communicates Spanish-language Disaster Information

Revision with unchanged content. Hispanics are the largest and quickest growing minority group in the United States, but historically the government has inadequately communicated with Hispanics about disasters. This book examines challenges the government faces when developing disaster communication for Hispanics. Through interviews with state emergency management communicators and a survey of 435 county emergency management directors, the book benchmarks how the government communicates with Hispanics about disasters. Specifically, the book identifies: (1) the channels the government uses to communicate disaster information to Hispanics; (2) who government officials believe should be responsible for communicating Spanish-language disaster information, and (3) who government officials believe are most capable of producing Spanish-language disaster information. The book concludes with recommendations on how government officials can better develop and provide disaster information for Hispanics. This book is addressed to public sector emergency managers and academics interested in government crisis communication.