Assessing the Public Service Role of News Reporting during the 2024 dana event in Valencia
Abstract
This essay evaluates the role of the media as a public service during the episode of extreme rainfall and flooding that occurred on October 29, 2024. It examines news coverage from 07:00 to 20:11 when the Valencian Regional Government issued an official warning to the population. When citizens received the alert on their mobile devices, the areas of l’Horta Sud and la Ribera Alta, south of Valencia, were already completely flooded. However, both traditional and digital media had warned of the risk at least 72 hours in advance and provided continuous coverage from early in the day. The review is based on the selection of news published prior to the institutional alert, using the FACTIVA, NEXIS, and MyNews databases. The findings show that the media fulfilled an effective public service role in contrast to the delayed activation of the official alert system. The essay also reflects on the coordination of disaster communication, emphasizing that—despite the prior availability of scientific evidence and the accuracy, quality, and wide dissemination of journalistic information—authorities failed to consider this information to warn the public. The need to integrate media reporting into institutional emergency management protocols is highlighted as a recommendation.
Downloads
Article download
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
