On Tuesday 14 March 2017 in Chamonix, the local mountain security association, La Chamoniarde, in collaboration with the Montagne Sûre Foundation, organized a cross-border workshop to better train journalists about the risks and dangers of the high mountain.
This workshop that brought together high mountain professionals and reporters, had two parts: a conference and training course followed by an excursion onto a glacier.
35 journalists from various European countries attended the workshop.
This workshop is just one part of the PREVRISK HAUTE MONTAGNE project, operating under the auspices of the INTERREG V-A in France and the ALCOTRA 2014-2020 Italian program.
PREVRISK HAUTE MONTAGNE was launched by La Chamoniarde in February 2016, and will finish at the end of the summer, 2017.
In line with the cross-border cooperation initiated in 2004 between La Chamoniarde and the Montagne Sûre Foundation, the aim of the project is to implement a common mountain risk assessment and prevention policy, for the awareness the tourists, Chamoniards and journalists, involved in high mountain reporting. The project aims to improve and broaden their knowledge on high mountain dangers, so that they can take responsibility to reduce the risks to which they expose themselves.
The Director of La Chamoniarde, Océane Vibert explains, "As an Association and Foundation, it is really important to educate people in the prevention of accidents by providing good and information on risks and teach the techniques of risk assessment. Also, we seek to enhance the understanding that journalists have of the mountain environment and explain the risk processes to them, so that they might better communicate with their audience".
Articles published on social networks and in news reports, concerning natural disasters and avalanches, are sometimes inaccurate, providing a poor explanation and may contain errors.
This workshop aimed to improve the communication strategy of journalists using social media and also, in exceptional situations, when composing and distributing alerts.
The mission is to use social media is to disseminate clear and fair information to the general public.
