Communication in crisis information plays a crucial role in the containment and management of the situation. Many people, including local and government authorities, depending on media to shed light on social and sensitive events like tragedies, attacks, and disasters. They are a credible tool in accessing the public and prompting them to take relevant actions. In this line, the Boston Marathon bombing is an excellent example of exploring this aspect of communication. The event left three people dead and at least 264 injured. Also, the media helped shape the actions taken by the public by ensuring that they reported on what was relevant and avoided glamorizing the terrorists. This included protecting the victims of the bombing by providing anonymity and prohibiting sharing of gross and graphic images of the crime scene. It could also be noted that there were attempts of stereotyping and misinformation that would have taken another turn. Still, the news platforms like CNN and law enforcement agencies acted first. They gave the public the correct information and the proper perspective on the damage caused by the culpable terrorists, which were not the stereotyped personas by the American population.
Boston Marathon bombing left at least 264 people wounded and three dead and is considered one of the most interactive disasters in the twenty-first century. The media played a vital role in the coverage of the whole event. In the first stage, the news of the bombing was done formally on the Boston Globe platform, indicating that there was a bombing at the finish line. After this, the event’s news took speed and spread rapidly, made possible by social media, especially Twitter. Reporters and other officials who were already there gave the first coverage. At the same time, people took pictures and recorded videos on their smartphones and shared them on social sharing sites like Facebook and Twitter. The news exhibited underestimating of reported data on the injured and casualties; for example, Boston Police Department tweeted on 22 people injured and two dead. These numbers differed depending on what media a person was consuming the information on.
In the second stage, government officials and law enforcement agencies like the local police eased the public tension by giving data-informed estimates of the bombing. The law enforcement agencies came into the “theater.” They urged the public to stay vigilant and calm as everything was under control and urged them to help identify and capture the bombers (suspected). They gave a better representation of the actual dimensions of damage caused by the two sequence bombings at the marathon’s finish line by giving actual figures. In stage three, the news of the tragic event starts to diffuse as more people are aware and accommodate the updates of the event as discussed by news persons. The main focus was now on the bombers pursued by the police for justice. And once the suspects were apprehended, the center of attention was drawn to the healing process for the incident’s victims. This included the athletes, their families, cheering participants, and other civilians that documented how they were recovering and coping with the occurrences of that fateful event.
People find it irresistible to watch and follow up on traumatic events because they affect these individuals differently. For example, some people use the news on the tragic event to prepare themselves psychologically in case they are subjected to a similar event. In contrast, others use the event as a classroom to educate themselves on what is currently happening to act accordingly (Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 2013). The different media platforms make it easier for many people to follow up on the events and give them first-hand information.
Tragic and traumatic events tend to engage people through various media platforms. However awful they may seem, the media should cover these tragic events regardless of critics’ and government agencies’ interference. This is because news media coverage of disturbing topics and events, especially those that provide twenty-four hours coverage, has vast advantages. For example, they inform the public about what is happening in the community, especially at the local level, and give first-hand information on what is happening on the ground. Also, coverage of these traumatic and tragic events gives people a sense of familiarity with the pertinent issue. It gives adequate room for discussion, thereby creating a direct link to the public and the adequate help they may need from relevant authorities. In turn, the government and local authorities are given credible intelligence that they could act on by listening to the people’s voices. However, coverage of tragic events such as terror attacks, conflicts, violence, and disasters should be moderated. They should be closely monitored and regulated to exclude graphic content which may be disturbing, thereby being inappropriate for some demographics. This can lead to viewers’ post-traumatic stress (PTSD) (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2022). Therefore, live coverage should be done in a way that does not evoke fear, psychological dissonance, or any other type of social imbalance. The language used should avoid the use of shocking and sensitive descriptive words.
In conclusion, communication in a crisis is critical. Keeping in mind the attention cycle of news and its coverage, tragic and traumatic events give tangible information that needs to be acted upon quickly. Therefore, news media outlets need to be aware of their roles in giving real yet moderated information on what is happening to help shield people from impending danger. Access to information is key in this era, and so is the risk of getting unhealthy and manipulative information on various crisis and conflict events.
Reference
Melvin L. DeFleur, & Margaret H. DeFleur (2016). “Mass Communication Theories: Explaining Origins, Processes, and Effects.” Routledge
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press (2013).”Most Expect ‘Occasional Acts of Terrorism’ in the Future.” Retrieved from http://www.people-press.org/2013/04/23/most-expect-occasional-acts-of-terrorism-in-the-future/
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (2022). Media Coverage of Traumatic Events. PTSD: National Center for PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/media_traumatic_event.asp
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