7. Voices of Reason

We have titled this chapter ‘Voices of Reason’ because those we interviewed said this should be the role of politicians when communicating about disasters. In this chapter, we examine what constitutes effective political leadership in disasters and crises. We reveal the key factors that contribute to effective political leadership and performance across the various phases of disasters. Drawing on interviews with senior emergency managers in ten countries, we examine when politicians should get involved in disasters and crises, and when they should disconnect. We also look at some key examples of politicians’ interactions with the news media, focusing on those that illustrate best practice as well as those that demonstrate poor practice.