Information and Resources

Media Mayhem in the Midst of Tragedy

Sept. 14, 2001 -- When a cataclysmic event happens -- either here at home in the U.S. or somewhere across the world, you'll know about it immediately and experience it through the eyes of the media. In recent days, that's meant watching, time after time, planes plowing into buildings, people jumping to their deaths, and skylines shrouded in billowing smoke. Newspapers scream tragedy in their headlines; photos portray a war zone.

It truly is a double-edged sword: we look for the media to tell us what's going on, but in the process, we feel the fear, sorrow, and anger right along with those at the scene. The two sides are woven so tightly together that it is difficult to determine whether, ultimately, we are causing ourselves more pain or helping to process our grief.

WebMD turned to experts around the country, asking for their help in teasing out the role of the media when disaster strikes. And right off the bat, they spoke about the benefits of allowing the public to see what's happening during a tragic event.

"Media coverage tends to focus the American reaction and allows us to collectively grieve," says Glenn G. Sparks, PhD, professor of communications at Purdue University in Indianapolis. "It allows us to rally around the coverage and experience the same emotion."

Round-the-clock coverage also offers a calming effect. "We know that people are in control, that things are being done," he tells WebMD. "It's important information that gives us a sense of well-being and security in chaotic times."

When "done properly," media coverage creates a sense of community by opening a public forum, says John Fairbank, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

The tragedy "was clearly an attack on our national community, and that's where the healing has to begin," he tells WebMD. "The media have served an important role by providing accurate information, giving people facts to talk to about, to respond to ... dispelling rumors, which were flying all over the place Tuesday. I thought [the media] did a very good job making sure facts were verified. I got the sense they were not trying to be overly sensational."

Our own information-gathering process is important for personal healing, Fairbank says. "We're helping ourselves understand what's happening."

As far as the often-repeated graphic images, media outlets are dealing with conflicting objectives, Sparks says.

"They are charged on one hand with trying to do a good job reporting events to us," he says. "But the instantaneous availability of these images -- images that none of us are emotionally prepared for -- can have a downside. I think it is not uncommon for people to find themselves overwhelmed by it all."

When a crisis first hits, TV crews go into "reactionary mode" to cover the events, Sparks adds. "They're caught off-guard like anybody and have to react immediately."