Knowing the Audience Paper & Communication Release

Knowing the Audience Paper & Communication Release

        On 5 August, 2010, a cave-in occurred in a 121 year old copper-gold mine located in San Jose, Chile. The cave-in trapped 33 workers 2,300 feet beneath the earth’s surface; these men became known as “Los 33”, or translated into English, “The 33” (Chile Mining Accident (2010).  Workers began drilling boreholes in an attempt to find out whether or not the trapped miners were indeed alive. After 17 days of drilling, a handwritten note was found attached to a drill head, indicating the men were alive and well, and had taken refuge in an underground shelter. Upon discovery of the note, the Chilean government implemented a plan to rescue the miners that were buried deep beneath the ground. On 13 October, 2010, 69 days after the initial cave-in, (the longest ever recorded in history), “The 33” were brought to the surface and greeted by cheering onlookers, the President of Chile, family and friends. (Barrionuevo, 2010).        

        With the ever-expanding media outlets, alongside the increase of technology, it becomes harder and harder to beat the news when it comes to releasing information. The families of the miners should be informed on a more personal level, as the news is devastating and emotions should not be overlooked. The families should be consoled while at the same time being reassured that every effort is being made to bring their loved one home safe. Since the message has such a strong impact, the message should be delivered in person, by an employee of the mining company. A message of this type would read as follows;

“I come to you today with a message that I wish I didn’t have to deliver. There was an incident, a cave-in, at your loved ones mine today, he is alive, but he is trapped underground along with 32 of his fellow workers. I know this is hard to hear, but be assured that we are doing everything we can to bring your loved one home safely. While we work to free him, we will be sending down food and water, along with ways to communicate with him. It may take some time to free him, but be assured that we will do everything within our power to bring him home safely. I’m sorry that this has happened, and please let us knows if there is anything you need during this ordeal.”

        The employees of the mining company should also be informed of the situation at hand. Though employees should be made aware of the welfare of the trapped miners, as well as ongoing search efforts, they must also be informed of the causes and preventions of such a collapse. The employees need to know the events that led up to the collapse, as well as what to do in such situations. The company should show compassion for their employees, as well as a need to protect them. This type of message should be delivered in person, during a companywide meeting, or at the very least an email, companywide memo, or other written communication. A message of this type would read as follows;