Media disaster coverage over time: Methodological issues and results (original) (raw)
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Framing of National Disasters in the Print Media
International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 2021
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General journalistic principles guide the ways that gatekeepers evaluate the newsworthiness of events. These principles are adapted in the field of international communication and indicate some unique features, in particular, of international disasters reporting. The current research examined the presence, amount, and length of news coverage from 3 major U.S. newspapers on 292 global natural disasters from 2004 to 2014. Results showed that U.S. newspapers had a reasonable neglect of international disasters compared with domestic ones and a disproportional favor toward huge versus smaller size disasters. A systematic predicting model was evident: Severity was the most significant and the only consistent determinant of disasters reports, followed by the intensity of deviance. Geographic distance and degree of relevance between countries failed to predict any variance of news coverage. This finding might demonstrate a return to the news value that the newsworthiness of an event should ...
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Disaster News: Framing and Frame Changing in Coverage of Major U.S. Natural Disasters, 2000-2010
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The Role of Mass Media in Disaster Management
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Media Framing of Natural Disasters in Kwazulu-Natal Province: Impact of Contigency Plans
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This study explores how the media frame disaster contingency plans which include preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery of the KwaZulu-Natal province before, during and in the aftermath of natural disasters. The province has been stricken by natural disasters. Although newspapers report the disasters they fail to give details of disaster contingency plans that should be available to those who are susceptible to, and the victims of disasters. Based on a content analysis of 114 online newspaper articles between 2000 and 2013 to examine how the media framed the KZN government's disaster contingency plans. This study concludes that the highest occurrence of disasters (71%) was from 2011 onwards as compared to previous years, and most of these were associated with areas that are susceptible to floods (34%). The findings of the study highlight that the media placed an emphasis on disaster response (41%) over preparedness (24%) and mitigation (7%). The outcomes suggest that newspaper organisations need to appoint a designated reporter responsible for disaster management issues. This is relevant because this study conveys findings that have the potential to persuade government and newspaper organisations to collaborate and to ensure that their officials are multiskilled and able to cover all phases of disaster management in their articles, in order for these to be understood at all levels of society. This study further adds to the growing body of knowledge regarding quality journalism that meets its objectives.