VOODOO,ZOMBIES, AND MERMAIDS: U.S. NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF HAITI*

ABSTRACT. Newspaper articles in the United States paint a picture of Haiti as a failed state, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. These articles place the blame of the country's problems entirely on Haiti itself, with little regard for the outside forces that also contributed to the country's present‐day state. This study is a critical geopolitical analysis of Haitian representation in U.S. newspapers. I empirically examine a year's worth of articles from 2004 written in five major U.S. newspapers. From these articles I analyze both the words used to describe Haiti and the emerging media frames. Critical studies have shown that representation in the media can greatly impact the conventional wisdom surrounding a place and legitimize social inequalities. By understanding the images used to describe Haiti, I hope to develop a means of rethinking popular perceptions of the country. I argue that only then can the problems of Haiti be more effectively addressed and a new dialogue created, one that encompasses the entire story of this Caribbean country.     

The Use of Maps in Turkish Newspapers

This study analyzes the use of maps in Turkish newspapers in order to evaluate their potential to contribute to the enhancement of geographic knowledge in society. This study reviewed the content of three Turkish newspapers published between January 2008 and August 2012. Only 835 maps were used in the newspapers during the study period, or an average of 278 maps per newspaper. During the study period, about 15,720 news articles were published per month in the three newspapers; however, only five of these were illustrated with a map. The study reveals the potential for Turkish newspapers to increase society's geographic awareness with additional published maps.     

Constructing the News: The Role of Local Newspapers in Environmental Risk Communication*

Effective risk communication is central to good environmental risk management. While studies have shown that newspapers are the primary source of information to the public regarding environmental issues, little is known about how environmental news is used as a risk‐communication tool. This article explores the role of local information systems in risk communication, using newspaper content analysis as well as in‐depth interviews with journalists and community residents to develop a case study of an environmental assessment process for a nonhazardous industrial‐waste landfill. Results indicate that risk messages were chosen and shaped by journalists on the basis of their own exigencies. In addition, while newspapers were a major source of risk information, their impact was mitigated by resident distrust and access to other information sources, most notably their own personal information networks. These results have implications for environmental policy, as decision makers often use—either passively or actively—print media as a risk‐communication tool.     

Climate of scepticism: US newspaper coverage of the science of climate change

This two-part study integrates a quantitative review of one year of US newspaper coverage of climate science with a qualitative, comparative analysis of media-created themes and frames using a social constructivist approach. In addition to an examination of newspaper articles, this paper includes a reflexive comparison with attendant wire stories and scientific texts. Special attention is given to articles constructed with and framed by rhetoric emphasising uncertainty, controversy, and climate scepticism.