Online Media Attention to Coal Mine Disasters: An Analysis Based on the Issue Attention Cycle

Abstract

The study examined the longitudinal development of coal mine disasters reported in news media in China. Around Issue Attention Cycle, issue competition (Issue Competition) and issue fatigue (Issue Fatigue) provides a way to analyze and explain the periodic changes in coal mine disaster reporting. The study indicates that media attention on coal mine disasters is low. The empirical results reveal that media attention goes through four stages of issue attention cycle model: the pre-problem stage, alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm stage, decline in intensity of interest stage as well as post-problem stage. Applying scan statistics approach issue competition and issue fatigue are confirmed as the factors driving the fluctuation of media attention on coal mine disasters. Implications related to media agenda setting and public opinion on safety production were discussed based on the conclusions.