U.S. Elite Newspapers' Pre- and Post-tsunami Coverage, 2003-2006: A Case Study of Sri Lanka

 
 
 
 

U.S. Elite Newspapers' Pre- and Post-tsunami Coverage, 2003-2006: A Case Study of Sri Lanka

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dc.contributor.advisor Cooper, Anne M. en_US
dc.contributor.author Suryanarayan, Renuka en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2009-04-10T09:57:31Z
dc.date.available 2009-04-10T09:57:31Z
dc.date.created 2008 en_US
dc.date.issued 2009-04-10T09:57:31Z
dc.identifier.uri http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1213978333 en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/108419
dc.description This study's focus, the tragic December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, took more than 31,000 lives in Sri Lanka alone. All 543 stories about the island nation in 3 elite and influential U.S. newspapers, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Christian Science Monitor, were analyzed 18 months before and 18 months after the tsunami (excluding the tsunami itself) by comparing Keesing's Record of World Events (the "menu") to covered events (the "diet"). Results showed that 43% of pre and 76% of post-tsunami Keesing's events were covered. Military/defense was the number 1 topic both pre and post-tsunami. After grouping 4 topics into a violence dimension, the researcher found a four-fold increase in the violence coverage post-tsunami, due to a sharp increase in actual violence. Research questions addressed 3 levels of the Shoemaker and Reese Hierarchy of Influences model. Regarding Level 2 (news routines), results indicated a spike in coverage on the anniversary of the tsunami, December 26, 2005. Regarding Level 3 (the organization), the study examined organizational differences, Level 3 of the Shoemaker and Reese Hierarchy of Influences model. Each news organization's coverage of Sri Lanka was found to be unique, reflecting different newsroom policies and different economic realities. In addition to many more newsworthy events being covered post-tsunami, the significant post-tsunami increase in discretionary coverage, feature stories, editorials, and local news, likewise shows a heightened attention to Sri Lanka. Finally, the study found that U.S. elite newspapers had more prominent (e.g., page 1) coverage of Sri Lanka post-tsunami than pre -tsunami. In other words, the tragedy seems to have pushed Sri Lanka onto the media agenda. Thus this study posits the addition of a new element, a (cataclysmic) event itself, to Level 4 (extra-media influences) of the Shoemaker and Reese model. en_US
dc.format application/pdf en_US
dc.format 154p. en_US
dc.rights unrestricted en_US
dc.rights Copyright and permissions information available at the source archive en_US
dc.subject Tsunami en_US
dc.subject natural disaster en_US
dc.subject Extra-media influence en_US
dc.subject Sri Lanka en_US
dc.subject organizational influence en_US
dc.subject Hierarchy of influences en_US
dc.subject News routines en_US
dc.title U.S. Elite Newspapers' Pre- and Post-tsunami Coverage, 2003-2006: A Case Study of Sri Lanka en_US
dc.type Electronic Thesis or Dissertation en_US
dc.degree.name PhD en_US
dc.degree.level doctoral en_US
dc.degree.discipline Mass Communication (Communication) en_US
dc.degree.grantor Ohio University en_US
dc.contributor.publisher Ohio University / OhioLINK en_US

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