Agenda Setting in Media Coverage of Natural Disaster Exogenous Events: The 9.5 Sichuan Ganzi Luding Earthquake as an Example

Abstract

Disaster reporting, as a special kind of news reporting, requires the media to assume more moral and social responsibilities. At present, the development of disaster reporting faces many dilemmas, such as the substitution of traditional media by new media, the difference between mainstream media and self-media communication, and the guidance of public opinion in public discussion under disaster situations. This paper analyses the disaster coverage related to the 9.5 Sichuan Luding earthquake from a communication perspective in the hope of reflecting the current dilemma of disaster coverage development. Based on big data analysis of public opinion related to the event, it explores the effect of media agenda setting on the guidance of audiences and related discussions. Through the study of the existing disaster coverage, the defects of the current disaster coverage in our country are summarized, and the corresponding improvement measures are put forward.