Local Mass Media Operations, Problems And Products In Disasters

Abstract

From September 1985 through August 1988 the Disaster Research Center (DRC) at the University of Delaware undertook a study of local mass media response to community disasters. A total of 15 new field studies
\nwere undertaken for this research, fourteen in the United States and
\none in Canada (and for certain purposes comparable data from two
\nearlier studies were also used). The research had a number of specific
\ntopical goals, namely the following. First, we conducted a survey of all local media outlets in those
\ncommunities in which DRC carried out field work for this study. The
\npurpose of the survey was to document the involvement of the local
\nradio, television and newspaper organizations in local community
\ndisasters. We were interested in establishing the degree and kind of
\nparticipation in the response that the local mass communication system
\nwould show in disasters in their own areas.