Preparing for the Worst

Lessons for News Media After Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

Bibliographic Data

ID12909855
AuthorsBruno Takahashi (0000-0002-8570-4925, Michigan State University, corresponding author), Qucheng Zhang (0000-0002-8210-5599, Michigan State University), Manuel Chávez (0000-0002-4239-3397, Michigan State University)
Year2019
Volume14
Issue9
Pages1106-1124
Publication date2019-10-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-2786 • E-ISSN: 1751-2794
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17512786.2019.1682941
OpenAlexW2981704714
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited30

Hurricane Maria (2017) was the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico in the last 90 years. The entire communication system collapsed, including cellular. Media organizations in Puerto Rico, with the exception of one radio station, were unable to transmit much-needed information during and immediately after Maria made landfall. This study examines changes in journalistic practices, organizational readiness and disaster coverage plans, and infrastructure preparedness almost 18 months after the event. This study extends the limited research examining long-term changes to news media preparedness plans in the context of disasters and expands theoretical understandings of media practices in the context of the hierarchy of influences model. The results suggest that infrastructure damage severely hampered the ability of news organizations to perform their work, but solidarity among media was useful in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Each media played a differentiated and important role after the disaster based on their resources and organizational structure. The study shows that preparedness plans were inadequate and that changes are slowly been implemented to deal with challenges related to infrastructure, electricity, and technology, but with limited focus on the long-term well-being of media workers. Recommendations to improve responses to future natural disasters are presented

Advertising · Business · Context (archaeology · Disaster preparedness · Emergency management · Geography · Hierarchy · Meteorology · Natural disaster · News media · Political science · Politics · Preparedness · Public relations · Sociology · Solidarity · Work (physics · Disaster Management and Resilience · Engineering · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research

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