How crowd accidents are reported in the news media: Lexical and sentiment analysis

TL;DR

This study analyzes how media reports on crowd accidents over more than a century, revealing lexical and emotional patterns that influence public perception and highlighting cross-cultural differences and evolving language use.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive lexical and sentiment analysis of 372 media reports across diverse sources and time periods, revealing shifts in terminology and emotional tone in reporting.

Findings

'Stampede' is more common than 'panic' in media descriptions.

Western and South Asian media differ in their portrayal patterns.

Use of 'crowd crush' has increased in recent years.

Abstract

The portrayal of crowd accidents by the media can influence public understanding and emotional response, shaping societal perceptions and potentially impacting safety measures and preparedness strategies. This paper critically examines the portrayal of crowd accidents in news coverage by analyzing the texts of 372 media reports of crowd accidents spanning 26 diverse news sources from 1900 to 2019. We investigate how media representations of crowd accidents vary across time and geographical origins. Our methodology combines lexical analysis to unveil prevailing terminologies and sentiment analysis to discern the emotional tenor of the reports. The findings reveal the prevalence of the term "stampede" over "panic" in media descriptions of crowd accidents. Notably, divergent patterns are observable when comparing Western versus South Asian media (notably India and Pakistan), unveiling a cross-cultural dimension. Moreover, the analysis detects a gradual transition from "crowd stampede" to "crowd crush" in media and Wikipedia narratives in recent years, suggesting evolving lexical sensitivities. Sentiment analysis uncovers a consistent association with fear-related language, indicative of media's propensity towards sensationalism. This fear-infused narrative has intensified over time. The study underscores the potential impact of language and sentiment in shaping public perspectives on crowd accidents, revealing a pressing need for responsible and balanced reporting that moves beyond sensationalism and promotes a nuanced understanding. This will be crucial for increasing public awareness and preparedness against such accidents.