Beyond the Headlines: Developing Analytical Skills for Emergency Management Decision-Making

In today’s information-rich environment, emergency managers are inundated with policy changes, reports, incident information, hazard projections, news updates, social media posts, and AI-generated summaries. But being a true practitioner means going beyond surface-level data and developing a deeper understanding of the information that is presented to you. This session explores how to critically analyze and contextualize news and data to understand the broader implications for emergency management.

Presenters will discuss practical strategies for developing analytical skills to improve emergency management decision making. They will cover common information pitfalls due to political bias, information overwhelm, and AI mis- and dis-information. The session will explore tangible ways to verify information, read and digest information critically and in context, and tips for strengthening communication with stakeholders for improved accuracy and impact.

The speakers for this session represent unique perspectives from County government, Tribal Government, private sector consulting, academia, and the military.