Disaster reporting

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When disaster reporting the information to the public will be natural disasters by the media and journalists called. It follows general procedures and is determined by the message value . The life cycle can be described using models.

Downs: Issue-Attention Cycles / Topic Careers

The life cycle of a subject was first described in the context of a disaster in 1972 by Anthony Downs. The model contained the following phases:

  • “Pre-problem-stage”: event exists but does not yet take place in the media
  • "Alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm stage": Crisis arises, high level of attention, euphoric discussion of countermeasures
  • "Realizing the cost of significant progress stage": Awareness of costs, effort and time for the solution arises
  • "Gradual decline of intense pbulic interest stage": Resignation, wear and tear and the resulting reluctance
  • “Post-problem stage”: the topic is reported less often, possibly later reporting due to the given occasion

Görke: Reporting on crises and disasters

In 2008, Alexander Görke published five phases of disaster reporting. These are:

  • Monopoly: Live reports, switching to experts and correspondents, 24-hour reporting
  • Dominance: reporting is decreasing, focus is on other topics again
  • Normalization: all topics have roughly the same share in the reporting
  • Marginalization: Event hardly ever appears in reporting
  • Update: The event is reported again, e.g. B. on anniversaries or with new knowledge

Importance of the media

The media are of particular importance after a disaster. You have to weigh up between different focal points and are in conflict between fast and up-to-date reporting or exact research of information and neutral reporting or evaluation and classification of the event. The topics are current scientific knowledge, measures that the population can take, the education about risks and the presentation of the political and social discussion. The difficulty lies in keeping track of all developments that are happening at the same time. This requires high human and technical resources. Crisis centers are often set up in the editorial offices to coordinate the issues, manage the deployment of staff and assess the dangers for the correspondents and journalists on site.

science

The reporting and the resulting discussions after a crisis are scientifically accompanied by risk communication research.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Florian Meißner: Cultures of disaster reporting 1st edition. Springer VS, pp. 119-125
  2. ↑ Anthony Downs: Up and down with ecology - the "issue-attention cycle" - PDF file, accessed on March 5, 2020
  3. ↑ Alexander Görke: Medien-Katastrophen - a contribution to journalistic crisis communication 1st edition. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, pp. 126–127
  4. ↑ Florian Meißner: Cultures of disaster reporting 1st edition. Springer VS, p. 356
  5. ^ Heinz Bonfadelli: Media Effects Research II. Applications in Politics, Economy and Culture. UVK, pp. 288-290