The Scientificity of Disaster News in Turkey: April 23, 2025 Istanbul Earthquake Example

The role of media in times of disasters is not only limited to conveying information but also assumes a critical function in terms of risk communication, crisis management and protection of public health. Science journalism, on the other hand, increases science literacy and the public's capacity to develop informed behavior by providing understandable, accurate and reliable scientific information in disaster journalism. In this study, 197 news articles between April 23 and April 30, 2025 on the news websites of Sabah, Yeni Şafak, Sözcü and Cumhuriyet newspapers with different ideologies following the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Istanbul on April 23, 2025 were analyzed. Content analysis method was used in the study; coding was made in line with the criteria of using scientific sources, including scientific terms, and including the opinions of scientists. The findings reveal the importance of science in disaster periods in terms of the public's understanding of the news, developing accurate risk perception and ensuring public safety; it also shows the development areas of disaster journalism in Turkey. The findings show that newspapers generally focus on the moment of the event and emotional elements in earthquake news, and give limited coverage to scientific information. In particular, technical data, expert opinions and explanations for risk reduction were mostly presented superficially in the news, and critical issues such as pre-disaster preparation processes, building safety, ground surveys and psychological support were not sufficiently covered.