A study by Universitat de València Full-Time University Professor in Journalism Carolina Moreno-Castro that was published on the Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico scietific paper analyses how journalists covered the València DANA clearly, rapidly, abundantly and objectively.
‘Journalism played a key role as a public service and supported the civilians resilience. Despite that, limitations in institutional actions and dependency on external sources prove that media communication is necessary but not enough to prevent damage in natural emergencies’ explains Carolina Moreno, who is also a Scienceflows research group member of the academic institution.
The analysis of media cover during the day of the DANA reveals key patterns of journalist function in natural emergencies. First, title focus on the meteorological phenomenon gravity (‘DANA’, ‘Floods’, ‘Red alarm’) and the human and material consequences to transfer the risk magnitude immediately. Then, the proactive role of media becomes obvious: providing information from the very beginning based on scientific evidence and incorporation citizen-provided contents in the covering, such as rescue videos, to enhance visual impact and emergency understanding. The information was repeated and strengthened throughout the say to guarantee awareness and understanding of the population.
Another relevant point is the editorial neutrality: all media agreed on a unified alert message, showcasing the journalism ability to serve as public service in extreme risk situations. ‘The covering was clear, precise and unbiased by ideologies, acting the public service that foresaw the disaster magnitude and kept the population informed to display the DANA as an extreme phenomenon. The politisation and controversies emerged after the tragedy, once the disaster had already taken so many lives’ pointed out Carolina Moreno.
The Generalitat Valenciana official alert reached the mobile phones at 8:11 p.m., when many areas were already flooded and most victims had disappeared. For contrast, media had warned about the meteorological risk 72 hours before and provided continuous cover from the 29 October morning and preventive information as a public service. For example, the first prevision sent on 25 October by À Punt Meteorology Head was correct.
Study on all three journalism databses
The study analysed the journalism cover of the DANA throughout 29 October 2024 until the Generalitat Valenciana alert message, using news research published and collected in three journalism databases (FACTIVA, NEXIS and MyNews). Hundreds of national news quoted the State Agency of Meteorology (AEMET) and Generalitat Valenciana as their main source. The revision contrasts the late action of the official alert system against the preventive and public service of media that disseminated precise information and helped social media images showcasing the magnitude of the disaster go viral. Local media display informative and close sensibility while other more general media prioritised visual and emotional impact.
The study also examines what was the media course of action during the València floods following theoretical models for risk communication, currently in development by European project COALESCE, Participating Universitat de València. Before the disaster, meteorological models had already pointed out an extreme risk that should have been transferred to the population along with evacuation routs, preventive home stay and security measures. During the crisis, real-time communication with precise data on affected areas and available refuge is crucial to avoid panic. After the emergency, information on official aid, insurance and essential sevices help to normalise everyday-life again. In the end, the assessment phase provides lessons and strength for future preparation. The author highlights that even if precisely locating heavy rain in advance is very difficult, prevention and clarity in these messages help the population resilience in fron of extreme climate phenomena.
Carolina Moreno adds that ‘media outlets act as key enhancers of alerts and take on operative functions in critical contexts, particularly when official systems exceed their capacity. Journalism specialisation and coordination with authorities is essential to guarantee that information is correct, precise and understandable for citizens, and that the analysis run proves that specialised journalist information and modern alert systems act as strategic tools to reduce risks and protect lives in natural emergencies’. The study proposes to support the communication protocols and promote a rigorous, empathetic and useful journalism. ‘Providing good information during a DANA isn’t just about quickness by responsibility as well: clear and contrasted information can save lives’ concludes Carolina Moreno.
Moreno-Castro C. (2025). El valor de la información periodística como servicio público durante la dana en Valencia (2024). Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 31(2), 555-563. https://doi.org/10.5209/emp.102084
