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International media coverage promotes donations to a climate disaster
Cassandra M Chapman1, Matthew J Hornsey2, Kelly S Fielding3
1Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Disasters
|July 16, 2022
Summary
Media coverage significantly influenced public donations during the Australian bushfires (2019-20). News framing around money and support amplified charitable giving, surpassing peer and direct charity influence.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Media Studies
- Disaster Response
Background:
- The 2019-20 Australian bushfires prompted substantial community charitable donations.
- Understanding the drivers of disaster-related giving is crucial for effective crisis response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of disaster news coverage on public donations using agenda-setting theory.
- To determine if media framing impacts the amount and selection of charitable giving during crises.
Main Methods:
- A survey of 949 Australians assessed the perceived influence of news coverage on their donation behavior.
- Textual analysis of 30,239 international news articles examined language related to financial and support themes.
Main Results:
- Survey respondents indicated that news coverage strongly influenced donation amounts, exceeding prior giving habits.
- Media influence on charity selection surpassed peer recommendations and direct communications from aid organizations.
- Disaster news coverage disproportionately used terms associated with 'money' and 'support' compared to general text.
Conclusions:
- Media coverage plays a significant agenda-setting role in shaping public responses to disaster appeals.
- The framing of disaster events in news media influences both the volume and direction of charitable donations.
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