Gulf Coast poverty coverage down

• By SARAH CHACKO
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Aug 11, 2009 - Page: 6A

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Despite the ongoing effects of poverty in the Gulf Coast after two storms in 2005, media coverage of the issue has significantly decreased, according to a recently released Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation study.

The study points to a drop in the number of stories after hurricanes Katrina and Rita that relate to the struggles of residents living in poverty in the area.

Two LSU mass communication professors said they are not surprised by the report’s conclusions.

The study raises questions about what would qualify as sufficient coverage; if the stories that are covered have significant impact; and what difference more coverage may have made in the recovery process, they said.

Foundation president Flozell Daniels Jr. said that before hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005, media coverage of poverty was not any better than after the storms struck.

But the lesson should have been learned about missed opportunities to cover the most vulnerable communities in the state and nation, he said.

The private foundation was created after the hurricanes to manage non-governmental donations for recovery efforts. It administers grants to other nonprofit groups for recovery projects and programs, such as affordable housing.

The study, conducted by a Washington, D.C., consulting group, searched news articles in three-month increments, from Dec. 1, 2005 — three months after the storm made landfall in Louisiana — through May 31, 2009.

Between the first three months and the last three months of the study, Katrina-related articles dropped from 54,571 to 6,811.

Articles relating to Katrina and poverty decreased from 4,737 stories at the beginning of the study to 826 at the end.

The study also showed that coverage of celebrities, such as Hilton Hotel heiress Paris Hilton, and Gulf Coast sports, such as the New Orleans’ Saints football team, turned up more stories than the topic of Katrina and poverty. That trend was consistent throughout the entire study.

“I suspect there’s a sense that this stuff (poverty) is boring, or it doesn’t read or play well, or it’s depressing,” Daniels said.

But part of the media’s job is to report on “the responsible things,” not just the sensational or entertaining, he said.