Throughout the year, members of the Editorial Advisory Board meet and discuss new and emerging issues facing the business continuity industry. Several committees are formed and charged with looking at innovative and creative solutions to problems that every contingency planner faces.

One such group to which I feel we should dedicate this column is the Media Liaison Bureau. The idea behind the creation of the Media Liaison Bureau ("MLB") is a good one. The mission of MLB is "to facilitate the timely exchange and/or availability of information regarding emergency management and business continuity issues to media representatives throughout North America."

Our vision is to solicit membership from the various contingency planning forums, groups and organizations in existence throughout North America and provide the organization name to the media. The benefits of involvement are:

1. To the media – a professional in their geographic area available to respond at the time of a disaster or, for background, to discuss the ways in which business continuity/disaster recovery plans mitigate disasters;

2. To your organization – an opportunity to raise your visibility and to enhance relationships with the media thereby strengthening the understanding of and need for contingency management; and

Additionally, it is increasingly important in today’s litigious times to thoroughly explore the professional liability issues; issues such as under what organization’s name would the contingency planning professional comment? Does/has the organization look(ed) at professional liability coverage?

The ideal goal is to provide timely and accurate information, as well as increase visibility for the contingency planning profession as a nationally recognized authority.

We would welcome your comments. Please E-Mail us at EAB@DRJ.com.