The lack of real news on the disappearance of MH370 on March 8 last year pushed international TV news and print media to new levels of self-parody.

 

Leading 24-hour news channels’ commentators used desktop model planes as props. Suddenly, some journalists became experts in aviation and went on to mock one another.

 

American political satirist and TV host Jon Stewart ridiculed CNN, pointing out one particular broadcast for its “insanity”.

 

“Broadcasters the world over, were trying to figure out how to fill the air time. They had one minute of good coverage, but then, Oh sh*t, we have got 23 hour and 59 minutes left to fill, F**k, let’s go nuts,” Stewart said, blaming the obsession of networks with trying to up TV ratings.

 

This is all revealed in a 165-page book on ‘Flying Through Crisis MH370: Lessons in Crisis Communications’. This is Malaysia’s first book on MH370 and it reveals case studies of real events taking place at the press conferences and how Malaysian authorities, including Malaysia Airlines, reacted and responded to the crisis.

 

Dr David Kirkham, an international consultant and coach in crisis communications for more than 30 years, together with veteran journalist Krishnamoorthy Muthaly, who covered the crisis, took 10 months to write the book.

 

The authors quote ABC’s China correspondent Stephen McDonnel as saying: “The hard thing for all of us though has been to admit at various times that there has been simply nothing new to say.”

 

In the chapter on ‘What the Media Said’, McDonnel added, “Yet, the nature of these mass international stories has changed forever. Journalists will file a piece based on thin air. And, some of them, with nothing to write about, will even descend into the navel-gazing exercise of analysing how other media outlets are reporting.”

 

‘Cringe-worthy’ PCs

 

He alleged that many of the international media made the reporter the story. He described some of the broadcast media grandstanding at the press conferences as “cringe-worthy” and gave examples such as, “You are live on Sky News London and our thoughts are very much with your countrymen (at this) very difficult time.”

 

Suddenly, according to another news report, “everyone is an aviation expert.” This does not mean the media must go on speculating as the days went by without MH370 being found.

 

“The media had its heyday in spinning to fill the airtime and empty pages in the newspapers and especially in the more outrageous social media,” ‘Flying Through Crisis’ reported.

 

Krishnamoorthy, with 30 years’ experience as a journalist, covered the MH370 and MH17 crises for foreign television and newspapers as a freelancer.

 

“I felt Kirkham’s practical experience in coaching multinational companies worldwide added value to the book,” Krishnamooorthy said.

 

“I insisted that we must write the truth and nothing but the truth according to the media as the world saw it. The reputation of Malaysia Airlines and the government is influenced by perceptions created by the media,” Kirkham said.

 

This book explores how to communicate effectively, value your reputation and provides practical ideas for effectively managing an organisation’s image.

 

The book also examines the impact of broadcast and multimedia technologies on public opinion. It further discusses how TV networks and print media outlets faced fierce competition in ratings and circulation battles.

 

The book is priced at RM45 and will soon be available in major bookstores.