Media Narratives and Resilience: Analysing Disaster Risk Communication in Sardinia and Sicily

In the context of environmental disasters, the role of the media in strengthening social cohesion and fostering disaster response processes has been emphasised by the theoretical framework of Social Responsibility Theory (Siebert, Peterson, and Schramm, 1956). This framework underscores the importance of conveying news that informs but also educates and promotes greater social awareness. Some research suggests that media often prioritise narratives focusing on governmental blame and responsibility, while neglecting in-depth coverage of social causes and effects (Albrecht, 2021). Other studies highlight how responsible media coverage can enhance community preparedness and resilience during disasters (Sellnow and Seeger 2013; Poudel et al., 2014). This paper examines the media coverage of floods on the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily (2022–2024), focusing on the textual frames employed by national, regional, and local press and online newspapers. Frame analysis facilitates the observation of narrative dynamics surrounding disaster prevention, management, and reconstruction practices. The study focused on three narrative phases of flooding events (pre-, during, and post-event) and investigated: a) risk predictability and mitigation; b) the extent of information dissemination during the event; and c) the processes of blame attribution and political claims, as well as their effects on social cohesion and damage recovery.