Analysing media framing of cyclone Amphan: Implications for risk communication and disaster preparedness

Abstract

The role of media framing is drawing significant scholarly attention among disaster and climate scholars in recent times, in terms of its short and long-term impacts on risk preparedness and climate change adaptation. In this paper, we explore the connections between media framing of disasters, and risk communication and preparedness. Through the case of media coverage of eleven newspapers (international and national publications) around the event of Cyclone Amphan in South Asia, we portray a strong media framing around the event. Our findings are three-fold. Firstly, the response system in India and Bangladesh could not follow pre-determined disaster action plans and protocols for a coordinated response, due to the risks and restrictions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Secondly, the journalistic response to cyclone Amphan framed the disaster event as ‘natural’, thus reinforcing the reliance on a short-term Response & Recovery centric approach (evacuation, rescue, and relief), over long-term approaches such as disaster preparedness and prevention (adaptation, mitigation, and resilience). Finally, we find that media framing focused on personal stories of individuals helps advance the needs of vulnerable groups; yet at the same time concretizes a relief-centric approach that ignores questions around disaster infrastructure, resilience, and climate change adaptation. We contend that an integrated risk communication approach that is adaptive, takes into account multiple risks and complexities while allowing coordinated efforts between actors and institutions is necessary to develop an effective response policy for disasters and climate-induced extreme events in the future.