Mont Pelée: Issues with Reporting Creating Complacency

"Information about crises, even if it conveys bad news, relieves disquieting uncertainty and soothes people." (Graber & Dunaway 177)

It sounds like the inspiration behind an episode of Black Mirror that hasn't been written yet. Knowing, or even the feeling of knowing creates complacency in populations.

"Something ridiculous is going on behind the scenes and the citizens of City X should be rioting in the streets or searching for shelter, but the news anchors are keeping them up to date and say there's absolutely nothing to worry about."

Recently, I read a very interesting historical account of this phenomena:

On the island of Martinique, 1902 was an election year. The island had elected its first black senator in their last election cycle and the white conservatives who were used to running the place were not happy with the sudden guts their constituents had developed. The next election was scheduled for May 11th. The volcano on the west coast of the island became active in late April and by May, the commercial and cultural hub of Martinique (St. Pierre) was covered in ash. Wanting to ensure the majority-white population of the town could cast their votes in the election, Governor Mouttet ensured the citizens of St. Pierre it was safe. He put together a team of "scientists" (three townsfolk and one high school science teacher) to assess the threat of the volcano and report it back as safe.

The island's dominant newspaper, Les Colonies, happily reported these findings along with many other pieces "informing" the public about the safety of the volcano.

On May 8th, 1902, Mont Pelée erupted, killing the 30,000 citizens of St. Pierre. Only two people survived.

This story conveys the importance of reporting accurate and relevant information to audiences in a timely manner. Yet, if audience appeal is the most important factor in story selection, how do we regulate what audiences need to know? And if informing the public creates complacency, how can the media stress the importance of action? There are emergency alert banners for natural disasters on television but how can we report on issues like climate change and poverty without soothing the populations that should be doing something about it?