Disasters in the media

Year level: Upper primary/Lower secondary Learning Outcome: Students critically examine the representation of disasters in the media Use Reliefweb to develop a list of recent natural disasters http://www.reliefweb.int Examine current media reports of natural disasters and answer the following: Are all the disasters you listed reported in the media? Which ones receive most newspaper space/air time? Why might some disasters receive more coverage than others? How are techniques, such as persuasive or loaded language, used? How easy is it to find out how people have recovered about 12months after a disaster? Make a generalisation about the way disaster management is portrayed in the media. Support your statement with examples and propose reasons why disaster management might be portrayed in this way. Contrast a disaster in a developing country with a similar one in a richer country. What are the similarities and differences in the way the victims and the response are portrayed? Why might this be so? Rewrite one of the reports from the point of view of: a survivor writing to family overseas; a government official demonstrating how education about what to do in case of an emergency and other preparedness has assisted in saving lives; an aid worker overwhelmed by the task that lies ahead. Assessment task Select a photo of a disaster and provide some alternative captions from different perspectives, such as a survivor, government official, aid worker etc.