Media Coverage of Disasters

Americans turn to the media during natural disasters and severe weather as a source of information. Radio and television provide information on where an earthquake occurred and how strong it was, whether a tornado watch or warning is in effect, and which direction hurricanes and tropical storms are headed. Few dispute the importance of media coverage in these instances, and the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) evolved to take advantage of the ability of mass media to quickly inform thousands and even millions of individual about potential problems in their region. However, the media's coverage of disasters extends into the aftermath of the disaster, with information about the extent and cost of the damage, speculation about who (or what) was responsible for the event, and interviews with families who have been devastated both materially and emotionally sometimes moments after the event. In addition, scrutiny has also been focused on the media's presence at disaster sites and the complications that the presence can cause for relief efforts. This research examines the various roles that the media plays in reporting disasters (both those which occur naturally and those which are caused by man), and considers two disasters, the sinking of the Titanic and the recent crash of ValuJet Flight 592, in detail with regard to the role that the media played in those events.

The sinking of the Titanic is notable for several firsts: it was the first time th

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the broadcast of an amateur-shot videotape on local and then national media which sparked interest in the trial in the first place. As the violence progressed during the first day of riots, truck driver Reginald Denny was pulled from his truck and brutally beaten; several viewers who saw the beating on local television news (shot from a helicopter) left the safety of their homes in order to rescue Denny from his attackers. Coverage of the riots in Los Angeles raised other ethical questions about the coverage of disasters in general. It was nearly impossible to find a local television station which was not covering the riots with live pictures, and there are some analysts who maintain that the media coverage contributed to the continued rioting in the streets. Scenes of looting and violence were broadcast for hour after hour, and the media reported that the fire department could no longer keep up with either the large number of fires being set, or with the violence (including being shot at) that was being perpetrated against them. Television pictures showed cars being overturned, stores being broken into and looters running through streets effecting a holiday mood. "Copycat" looting and violence is assumed to be at the hear

Category: History - M