One advantage of seeing disasters from the inside is that you gain insight into who really does the work. Since the infighting at Feed the Children began, it seems that the professionals involved in the organization have been pushed aside, ignored. I know the emergency management expert has yet to be deployed to Haiti, despite the charity’s claim of being heavily involved in the recovery efforts.
The following report by CBS News is an excellent example of the need to be careful when contributing to charities; and, the need for charities to utilize experts in the field. Another unfortunate lesson to be learned from this report is the obvious need for truth and transparency in any organization. When a crisis hits, don’t send an uninformed mouthpiece to sit in front of the camera. That will only reinforce the interviewer’s predisposition toward his or her bias in the reporting. In addition to a failure to use the organization’s professional staff, this report shows a woeful ignorance of the need for professional public relations and crisis management expertise.
