Real-Life Communication
It is one hour until the news is set to begin. Suddenly, you get
a phone call saying that the town of Caldon is flooding. The Caldon River
is overflowing its banks and forcing an emergency evacuation of the town.
A
crew rushes out to film the scene. An environmental officer and a woman who
refuses to leave her home are willing to be interviewed live during the newscast.
The producer wants to go with the story.
You are handed background
information that has been quickly gathered about the flood. You read it over,
and try to digest the information to be ready for the interview.
"You
have to have excellent communication skills," says Gloria Macarenko, a news
anchor. "That is what you do on air."
Off the air, news anchors need
to be able to communicate with co-workers to discuss and express ideas. "We
come up with the lineup by consensus, so you have to be able to get your point
across."
News of the Caldon River:
The Caldon River
has broken through its banks, and is threatening the town of Caldon. Caldon
is 130 miles southwest of Orion. Already, a dozen farms in the area have been
flooded. Five of these homes are completely flooded out, under eight feet
of water. Another 30 homes are in immediate danger.
The Caldon River
floods regularly, and residents in the area are used to it. But they haven't
seen anything like this for some time. The river is rising rapidly. Environment
officers expected the river to rise another nine inches overnight, and continue
to rise over the next several days.
Evacuated residents are being sheltered
in the Caldon Community Center. Some are refusing to budge from their homes.
The children have been sent to higher ground, but their parents are staying
to fight for their land. "We won't drown or anything," Debbie Hayworth
says.
You test yourself with these questions:
- Where is Caldon in relation to the large town of Orion?
- How many homes are now flooded and threatened?
- Where are evacuees being placed?
- Is the river expected to continue to rise?