Analysis of Media Effects on Audience Perception of Heat Wave Damage Reports

In disaster situations, the media is the most effective means of disseminating information to a large audience. However, despite the large-scale casualties and recurrence of heatwaves, research on the impact of media has been limited. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the media's impact on heatwave disasters. To this end, an experimental survey using news footage was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups—episodic frame, thematic frame, or control—and group differences were tested using a one-way ANOVA. The results showed that the group exposed to the news video had lower risk perception and personal empathy scores than the group not exposed to the news video, and tended to attribute the heatwave damage to society. Furthermore, the anecdotal frame group was found to be more likely than the thematic frame group to attribute heatwave damage to the environment, rather than individuals. This demonstrates that the media influences audiences' risk perception, personal empathy, and attribution of responsibility. These results provide implications for developing disaster communication strategies through the media.