Catching Fire in the News: The Necessary Conditions for Media Storms
Author:   Amber E. Boydstun (University of California, Davis) ,  Jill R. Laufer (University of California Center Sacramento) ,  Dallas Card (University of Michigan) ,  Noah A. Smith (University of Washington)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
ISBN:  

9781009498449


Pages:   100
Publication Date:   26 February 2026
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
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Catching Fire in the News: The Necessary Conditions for Media Storms


Overview

Why do some events catch fire in the news, producing a media storm, while many similar events go all but unnoticed? This Element uses a fire triangle analogy to explain the necessary conditions of media storms. The “heat” is the spark: a dramatic event or discovery. The “fuel” is the political and cultural landscape, including similar items in recent news, and current debates that allow the event to be framed in a resonant way. The “oxygen” is the available news agenda space, plus attention the event receives beyond the news (by activists, politicians, people on social media, etc.). Media storms are not easily predictable; it takes the right event, at the right time, with the right momentum of attention. But when the political stars align and a media storm erupts, it can be a window of opportunity for change. This Element is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Full Product Details

Author:   Amber E. Boydstun (University of California, Davis) ,  Jill R. Laufer (University of California Center Sacramento) ,  Dallas Card (University of Michigan) ,  Noah A. Smith (University of Washington)
Publisher:   Cambridge University Press
Imprint:   Cambridge University Press
Weight:   0.159kg
ISBN:  

9781009498449


ISBN 10:   1009498444
Pages:   100
Publication Date:   26 February 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. What we know about media storms; 3. Methodology: identifying the correlates of media storms; 4. The fire triangle model of media storms; 5. The role of political actors in the fire triangle model; 6. Necessary elements of media storms: heat, fuel, and oxygen; 7. Effects of media storms; References.

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