The Great ShakeOut, you'll laugh, you'll cry

Come 10 am Thursday morning, all Southern California counties will be shaking, or so they say.

In an attempt to rally education and understanding about So-Cal's frightening, but true, earthquake reality, the Great Southern California Shakeout is promising to raise awareness to a less than knowledgeable population. The drill is set to imprint the necessary, earthquake survival motto, "Drop, Cover, Hold on!," on So-Cal's residents.

Creating public awareness is both easy and hard nowadays. Its easy because there is greater technology and a better system for warning. However creating enough buzz about a particular threat may go unheard. It can seem like just another day for us. We cant always decipher what threats are probable and that's where the media should help out.

The Great ShakeOut takes an innovative way of creating public awareness and making earthquake preparedness sexy again. Yes, again.

Scientists wager the "big one," the drill simulates a 7.8, is due to hit us within the next 30 years. Not only will the state's infrastructure fall apart but a Diet Coke could cost $10 in the aftermath, reports the Wall Street Journal.

So far, it would be hard to miss the many fliers scattered around campus, but I really wonder whether CSULB students or staff will be participating. There have been other media outlets covering the drill as well.

Los Angeles Times

"One hurdle remains Southern California's polyglot population, where messages must penetrate 81 recognized languages. To counter that and public apathy, efforts are focused on combining repeated messages encouraging homeowners to educate themselves with quasi-peer pressure. The goal is to instill a group "norm to prepare," whereby one set of residents sees another set act and emulates them."

These articles are examples of advocacy journalism, but with a twist. The LA Times article reads like a press release. The article reports numbers showing the small percentage of families actually prepared. The story simply is set to bring publicity to the drill and some vendors that actually specialize in items that will get you through the devastation (SOS Survival Products, catchy huh?).

The WSJ article pretty much mocks the idea by saying that educating the public has helped little, so lets throw a party! The article basically plays on ingenious marketing strategies behind the drill.

I see there may soon be a trend for "creating awareness." Its not that I'm opposed to block-parties celebrating our deeper understanding of what it is to "Drop, Cover, and Hold on," I would however like to understand what it will be accomplishing.

For example, many Southern Californians may be in their cars when the big one hits. What about the infrastructure of our freeways and overpasses. I appreciate that the news outlets are attempting to promote awareness, but what about reporting on the probable infrastructure damage rather than complaining about how little the public knows.

Erin