Science Communication

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
1075547008316219v1
29/4/472    most recent
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ungar, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
This version was published on June 1, 2008
Science Communication, Vol. 29, No. 4, 472-497 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1075547008316219

Global Bird Flu Communication

Hot Crisis and Media Reassurance

Sheldon Ungar

University of Toronto at Scarborough, Canada, ungar{at}utsc.utoronto.ca

Drawing predominately on a once-a-day Google News Alert for newspaper coverage of the "bird flu," this study examines global discourses on this topic in terms of alarming and reassuring coverage. Three stages of discourse are identified. The first is termed sounding the alarm, where fearful claims making predominates. The second is mixed messages, and involves a continuation of the threat with efforts to moderate it with elements of reassurance, including scientific promises and national plans to combat bird flu. The third stage is hot crisis and containment, and involves efforts to undo the most frightful elements of the avian mutation interpretative package as the H5N1 virus spreads into Europe.

Key Words: bird flu • hot crisis • interpretive packages • media • moderation effects • risk


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?