The Role of the Media and Media Hypes in the Aftermath of Disasters

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Abstract
It is hardly a surprise that disasters occur more often now than in the past: the world is getting more crowded, air traffic is busier, terrorists are operating worldwide, and the world is much more dependent on complex, but vulnerable technological systems. In the database of the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, an increase was found in the number of disasters worldwide. During the decade 1970–1979, 1,230 disasters were registered; in the 1980s, this figure was 2,856; and, in the 1990s, 4,790 disasters were listed. For the years 2000–2003, more than 3,000 disasters were reported (1). Disasters can be defined as acute, collectively experienced traumatic events with a sudden onset, and they can be both natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes) and man-made (e.g., plane crashes, industrial accidents, terrorist attacks) (2).

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