Framing the earthquake story

In the newsroom…

100 aftershocks of Magnitude 1+ per day

First Journalist:  Headline: Japanese city Kumamoto flattened by by Magnitude 7 earthquake.

Editor: We’re not a tabloid newspaper. We need a less sensational, more scientific approach.

Second Journalist: Lead: The first shock was Magnitude 6.2 on April 14 and killed nine people, injuring 800. The next night another earthquake, Magnitude 7, struck killing 39 people and more than 1,000 people were injured.

Editor: That’s better. It’s curious. Reverse of the usual. Foreshock followed by a main shock.

First Journalist: As a result, houses standing after the slightly weaker first shock fell down in the stronger main shock. Human interest: some people survived the first shock, but died in the second.

Editor: Verging on the tabloid again, but a fair follow-up.

______________

Voice-over

The article:

Kumamoto suffers a foreshock and a main shock

Kumamoto’s first shock was Magnitude 6.2 on April 14 and killed nine people, injuring 800. The next night another earthquake, Magnitude 7, struck killing 39 people and more than 1,000 people were injured. Some people survived the first shock, but died in the second. Usually the main shock is followed by a series of aftershocks. As a result, houses standing after the slightly weaker first shock fell down in the stronger main shock. Later shocks often exacerbate damage.
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