Terrorist attacks and uncertainty reduction: media use after September 11

Major acts of terrorism, like all public crises, instigate patterns of information seeking among the general public. These patterns of information seeking are consistent with previous research in social psychology, suggesting that in times of great fear, confusion or uncertainty, there is a fundamental need to acquire information that may be useful in restoring some sense of normality. Using survey data collected in three major American cities, the current study sought to examine whether or not this type of uncertainty reduction process occurred in the days following September 11. In addition to exploring the relationship between media use and uncertainty reduction, additional analyses explored the perceived usefulness of the news media in alleviating stress, and differences in these responses between men and women. The results do not support the predicted relationship between media use and uncertainty reduction; however differences between the sexes emerged in both response patterns and media preferences. The findings are discussed in terms of Media Dependency Theory, the functional role of the news media during terrorist events, and implications for crisis control officials in terms of message design and placement.