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Examination of 320 stories about wildfire published since 1988 suggests that journalists did not learn from the mistakes they made reporting the Yellowstone fires. The conventions of journalism, which value drama over explanation, suggest that wildfires and other natural catastrophes will often be reported in apocalyptic terms rather than as the predictable outcomes of natural force. Studies of how journalists reported five major stories suggest five factors that determine how wildfires are reported: (1) source enterprise, (2) cultural resonance, (3) issue salience, (4) newness, and (5) the degree to which the setting is rural or urban. Because of these criteria, news organizations sometimes do a poor job of providing the kinds of information needed by news consumers to reach intelligent conclusions about how public lands should be managed.
Cataloging Information
- education
- fire case histories
- fire management
- fire size
- land management
- public information
- wildfires
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