Catching Fire in the News : The Necessary Conditions for Media Storms

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.