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Reflecting or Directing Perceptions? Changing media responses to disasters in tourism destinations. Sue Beeton La Trobe University, Australia. Disasters. Internally ‘controllable’ accidents & incidents Negligence Disease/illness External accidents & incidents Natural disasters
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Reflecting or Directing Perceptions? Changing media responses to disasters in tourism destinations Sue Beeton La Trobe University, Australia
Disasters • Internally ‘controllable’ accidents & incidents • Negligence • Disease/illness • External accidents & incidents • Natural disasters • Political/terrorist activities • Violent crime • Disease
Influence of “news” media • Disasters make good stories • Especially in places visited by the nationals of the reporting country • Major tourist generating regions • News media has strong currency in terms of perceptions of ‘truth’
Changes in Disaster Reporting • Since Sept 11, 2002 • More stories on the importance of tourism in the recovery process • Stories encouraging visitors to return
Selected Fox News Reports • U.N.: Tsunami Worst Catastrophe for Tourism - Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — The top U.N. tourism official called Asia's tsunami (search) the worst-ever catastrophe for the world's... • U.N.: 800,000 Need Food Aid in Aceh - Monday, January 31, 2005 - LAMREH, Indonesia — Nearly 800,000 people will need food aid in Indonesia's Aceh (search) province in the aftermath of the devastating... • Indonesia Lowers Death Toll, Ups Missing - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia's Health Ministry on Tuesday lowered its death toll from last month's tsunami (search) after changing... • Environmentalists Surf Tsunami Tragedy - Monday, January 03, 2005 - Environmental activists are shamelessly trying to exploit last week's earthquake-tsunami catastrophe in hopes of advancing their global... • Tsunami Death Toll Tops 119,000 - Thursday, December 30, 2004 - BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Pilots dropped food to Indonesian villagers stranded among bloating corpses Thursday, while police in a... • Thai Tourism Industry Devastated - Thursday, December 30, 2004 - PHUKET, Thailand — Of the 12 million tourists who visited Thailand this year, many headed straight to the gems of the south to soak up...
There is evidence of a shift in how disasters, accidents and incidents at tourist destinations are reported in the news media • Also Fox News is extremely selective as to which events are reported and the extent and nature of the reporting
More Research Needed…. • Is disaster reporting driven by type of incident? • Natural, man-made, internal, external OR • Is Fox News reflecting a change in awareness of the role tourism can play in disaster recovery?
More Research Needed…. • Are they being forced to alter their news reporting due to independent nature of emerging technologies? • Which groups are most influenced by news media organisations such as Fox?
In conclusion… • So, is the news media GOOD or BAD? • Are they reflecting community perceptions or directing them?