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AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Feb 28, 2008
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April 2008, Vol 98, No. 4 | American Journal of Public Health 604-610
© 2008 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.112235

GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND LAW

Analysis of Media Agenda Setting During and After Hurricane Katrina: Implications for Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Response, and Disaster Policy

Michael D. Barnes, PhD, Carl L. Hanson, PhD, Len M. B. Novilla, MD, MPH, Aaron T. Meacham, PhD, MPH, Emily McIntyre, MPH and Brittany C. Erickson, MPH

Michael D. Barnes, Carl L. Hanson, Len M. B. Novilla, and Emily McIntyre are with the Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Aaron T. Meacham and Brittany C. Erickson are with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Michael D. Barnes, PhD, 221 Richards Building, Department of Health Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (e-mail: michael_barnes{at}byu.edu).

Media agenda setting refers to the deliberate coverage of topics or events with the goal of influencing public opinion and public policy. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of 4 prominent newspapers to examine how the media gathered and distributed news to shape public policy priorities during Hurricane Katrina.

The media framed most Hurricane Katrina stories by emphasizing government response and less often addressing individuals’ and communities’ level of preparedness or responsibility. Hence, more articles covered response and recovery than mitigation and preparation. The newspapers studied focused significantly more on government response than on key public health roles in disaster management.

We discuss specific implications for public health professionals, policymakers, and mass media so that, in the future, coordination can be enhanced among these entities before, during, and after disasters occur.






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Copyright © 2008 by the American Public Health Association