First Informers in the Disaster Zone: The Lessons of Katrina

Abstract:

Hurricane Katrina taught some hard lessons that a year later still reverberate through government, media and society. In the wake of Americas worst modern disaster, a steady flow of news stories, articles, books, government reports, and public forums have built a literature that provides guidance to vital institutions in coping with future calamities. The goal of this report is to add to that knowledge by exploring how the disaster transformed the gathering and dissemination of crisis information.