ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to flesh out what those responsibilities are in times of disaster. Disaster strikes and media representatives are essential players. News analysis both during and after a disaster can help people understand why the disaster happened. The coverage can help people decide whether future disasters can be prevented or made less devastating, and it can help people understand what the disaster means in a larger context. The question becomes even more difficult during disaster coverage with the forced interdependence between media and government and with the urgent public need for media messages. Hazards researchers know that both media and government are crucial to the victims of disaster. The public, scholars, and officials alike expect that news media will help people prepare for disasters. A lack of understanding often limits the journalists' ability to cover a disaster as something people can cope with.
