This guide aims to help humanitarian responders work with broadcasters to help save lives and reduce suffering as part of an emergency response. By working with broadcast media, aid agencies can reach more people more quickly and localise their response based on direct feedback. The guide is not about how to use media for public relations or fund-raising purposes; it focuses on working with media to share useful and actionable information with communities affected by crisis.

This guide includes:

• how to engage with the media in humanitarian crises
• audience data on media consumption
• access and preferences in hazard-prone countries
• plus links to external resources in communication with communities. 

Lifeline programming is part of the broader work that humanitarian agencies refer to as 'Communicating with Communities' (CwC). It centres around ensuring good dialogue between humanitarian responders and people who are affected by crisis. CwC projects also establish ways that survivors can get the information they need and that their voices are heard by humanitarian actors. 

BBC Media Action has responded to major crises around the world, including man-made emergencies, rapid onset emergencies and epidemics. They often work in partnership with local media in affected countries, helping them create Lifeline programming for their audiences, or we establish emergency broadcasts on BBC World Service airwaves. BBC Media Action also provides capacity-strengthening to media, governments and aid providers on communication with communities.