Disaster Voices Lab exists to help communities build trusted local media systems that activate before, during, and after disasters.
Using the Altadena Talks model as a real-world disaster recovery media prototype, this community trains local media makers, podcasters, and nonprofit leaders to inform, organize, and guide their communities when people need clarity, resources, and direction most.
Our mission is to:
- Turn community media into a reliable alert and resource hub
- Show how podcasts and digital platforms can coordinate food, housing, aid, and recovery efforts
- Provide a replicable media framework other disaster-affected regions can adapt quickly
- Preserve community voice while supporting emergency response, recovery, and rebuilding
This is not about content for content’s sake. It's about creating media infrastructure communities can depend on when traditional systems are overwhelmed or silent.
Altadena Talks is the working prototype. Disaster Voices Lab is how that model spreads—city to city, disaster to disaster.