ABSTRACT
Readers in New Orleans and Biloxi needed different information from that required by readers in Spokane, Washington, where hurricanes pose no threat. Perhaps their local newspapers sought to foster hope by reminding readers of their own innate resiliency while preserving one of the community’s important information lifelines. Regional newspapers felt the increased burden of providing information to evacuees, their families, and others concerned about the short- and long-term effects of the storm. Two local newspapers, the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Biloxi, Mississippi Sun Herald, continued publication in large part because of their dedicated staffs—many of whom lost their homes in the storm—and the help of publishers outside their affected areas. Local, regional, and national newspapers—for practical as well as philosophical reasons—appeared to put the needs and expectations of their readers first without serious regard for the pressure of their media peers.
