Media: The Case of the Christchurch Earthquake

2 The authors found that emotion is not only evident in reporting but it is necessary and expected when disaster is reported, challenging traditional struck the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Buildings had collapsed, businesses were disrupted, and many lives were lost. As the death toll rose and the realities of the destruction set in, a nation moved from initial shock to anger and depression—not unlike the stages of grieving. This paper discusses the stages of grieving and the mourning process as they were reflected in national media. It explores how national identity and national consciousness are related to national mourning by a review of the literature and a thematic analysis of selected media content. 1 ‘We may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day’, Prime Minister John Key told TVNZ, after arriving in the quake-struck city within hours of the tremor. The comment was widely reported in national and international media (see, for example