The Columbia Shuttle Breakup: News Diffusion Comparison of a Local and Distant Location

Abstract

This study examines the news diffusion process during the 2003 Columbia shuttle tragedy. Participants in two locations were surveyed during the week following the tragedy to directly compare the diffusion process for a distant and local location. An initial difference was the prevalence of telephone use for the local group in first hearing about the breakup versus face-to-face and television for the distant group. Internet usage appeared more prevalent than in previous studies and was particularly evident for the distant group during the initial stages of the news event. Television was the primary choice for follow-up information for both groups. While mass media usage seemed comparable throughout, the use of interpersonal sources declined more for the distant group during the diffusion process.