Contact: Maridith Geuder
As Sept. 11 events illustrate, Americans clutch their newspapers and become glued to television, radio and--increasingly--computer news for the latest information in times of national emergency.
To gain a better understanding of just how much the media influence attitudes and behaviors during critical times, a Mississippi State communication researcher is launching a survey of the public's news consumption habits.
Assistant professor Wilson H. Lowrey, who teaches mass media and society at the university, is seeking to measure the degree to which the public depends on media for information during a crisis and in what ways media coverage alters the behaviors of news consumers.
Focusing specifically on the 9/11 terrorists attacks, his work is being funded by an MSU Office of Research initiation grant made available to young faculty members with promising projects.
"The crisis is unusual because of its national scope and the fact most people learned about it through media reports," Lowery said. During such a severe social disruption, the public develops "an unusually high need for information and sense-making." he added.
"The mass media, which offer a speed of transmission and a connection to 'expert' sources of information, are perceived to satisfy these needs," he observed.
In general, past media studies have shown that the higher the perception of threat, the higher the dependency on media.
"It has been compared to a miner's relationship with a canary," Lowery said. "The greater the perception of danger, the more important the canary is thought to be."
Lowery said a random telephone survey during February in a single medium-sized city should provide reliable information about patterns of media use before and after Sept. 11. To be conducted by MSU's nationally recognized Social Science Research Center, the survey also will ask respondents about any resulting changes in their daily routines, including air travel plans, investment practices and charitable donations, among others.
"For example, I want to learn if someone changes travel plans or financial decisions because of media reports," he said, adding that the survey information will be linked to demographic variables such as age, level of education and income, as well as to media type.
"To date, little research has been done about Web use during social crisis," Lowery said. "The recent attacks offer this opportunity."
While his inaugural study will be limited to one geographic area, Lowrey is hopeful that additional funding can be found to expand the project. Understanding the media's roles during a major crisis will help media organizations and public policy makers--especially emergency responders--gain a better understanding of the role of crisis-based information.
"These findings should help determine which variables would be most important to a large-scale research effort," he said.
Lowrey, who holds a doctorate from the University of Georgia, is the author of articles in a number of scholarly publications, including Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Newspaper Research Journal and Visual Communication Quarterly. His book-length study, "Radio in Rural Guatemala," was published by the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication.