Research on mass media systems in hazard and disaster situations is underway. The major research objectives of the project include: developing an overall profile of local mass communication systems before and after disasters, and undertaking a systematic examination of newspaper, radio, and television outlets by comparing their normal and emergency time organizational structures, newsprocessing activities, and productions of content and analyzing short-run and longer-term effects of the emergency experience. Data collected in the field will be subjected to quantitative and other types of analyses. A plan to facilitate the utilization of research results by planners and researchers has been devised which includes holding a special workshop and preparing a document aimed at practitioners as well as producing publications for scholarly journals.
