Allies or Antagonists? The relationship between journalists and public communicators in risks and natural disasters

The article investigates the complex relationships between public communicators and journalists in the coverage of risks and natural disasters in Sardinia and Sicily, two Italian islands. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of public relations and public sector communication, the manuscript presents findings from a qualitative study based on in-depth semi-structured interviews. Findings highlight a hybrid relational model in which institutional procedures intertwine with informal practices during these emergency situations. Although collaboration is perceived necessary by both professionals, it is hindered by bureaucratic constraints, journalistic routines, algorithmic and public pressures. Spectacularization and news sensationalism influence the relationship, raising ethical risks in a contemporary digital ecosystem marked by visibility and disinformation. In this context, journalists and public communicators emerge not as antagonists nor as fully aligned partners, but as imperfect allies jointly responsible for producing reliable and timely information to face risks and natural disasters, essential to supporting vulnerable territories, such as insular contexts.