The media’s representation of airplane disasters: An analysis of themes, language and moving images

Boelle, Julia Maria 2020. The media’s representation of airplane disasters: An analysis of themes, language and moving images. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the representation of airplane disasters in broadcast news. Although airplane incidents tend to receive a disproportionate amount of media coverage, research is lacking in journalism studies and disaster communication on how these disasters are reported in traditional mainstream media and broadcast news. These news sources are dominant in the UK and, given the extensive coverage attributed to airplane disasters, have the power to shape our understanding of the incidents. By drawing on relevant concepts from the academic literature, this thesis establishes that the representation of airplane disasters can be understood through several key features: media interest, the topics of the broadcasts, the causes and responses to the incidents, emotionality and ‘suffering’, safety and risk, uncertainty, ignorance and speculation as well as different types of visuals. The findings contribute to knowledge in journalism studies and disaster communication more generally as they refine our understanding of the concepts of speculation, emotionality and risk, and the visuals of television news. The research also suggests that there may be a shift in television news from traditional journalism to a more narrative form of reporting, which produces compelling coverage in line with ideals to ‘objectivity’ and truthtelling

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Journalism, Media and Culture
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 June 2020
Last Modified:	04 Aug 2022 01:36
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/131860

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