Framing tourist risk in UK press accounts of Hurricane Ivan

This article examines the coverage of selected UK press reports of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 that was the most powerful storm to hit the Caribbean within the last 10 years. Quantitative content analysis has been utilised in this study to determine the main sources of information on the Hurricane and to examine the framing of tourist risk in the press accounts of this disaster. It is demonstrated that the reporting of Hurricane Ivan in the news items tended to convey information that amplified tourist vulnerability and risk. Institutional official sources were often quoted to reinforce danger and ‘no-escape’ rather than reporting on management strategies to reduce these risks or measures that were implemented to ensure visitor safety. This article therefore contends that media management strategies on disasters need to employ more precise and careful monitoring of media accounts of disasters in major generating markets. Such activities may be invaluable in providing assistance to tourism managers regarding decisions on communications strategies and marketing activity aimed at repairing damage and returning to normality in an affected country or region.