Citation

Devitt C, O'Neill E. Public Underst. Sci. 2016; 26(7): 872-888.

Affiliation

University College Dublin, Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Institute of Physics in association with the Science Museum, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0963662516636041

PMID

26941211

Abstract

Societal adaptation to flooding is a critical component of contemporary flood policy. Using content analysis, this article identifies how two major flooding episodes (2009 and 2014) are framed in the Irish broadsheet news media. The article considers the extent to which these frames reflect shifts in contemporary flood policy away from protection towards risk management, and the possible implications for adaptation to living with flood risk. Frames help us make sense of the social world, and within the media, framing is an essential tool for communication. Five frames were identified: flood resistance and structural defences, politicisation of flood risk, citizen as risk manager, citizen as victim and emerging trade-offs. These frames suggest that public debates on flood management do not fully reflect shifts in contemporary flood policy, with negative implications for the direction of societal adaptation. Greater discussion is required on the influence of the media on achieving policy objectives.

Language: en