Narrating the Natural Catastrophe: Radio and Television Coverage of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake

The media strategies used by leading Russian radio and television channels in covering the earthquake in Turkey and Syria in February 2023 were examined. The features of media discourse construction in news reports, and identified specific narrative and parainformational techniques used to interpret the events and exert a systemic influence on the audience are noted. A quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 100 news materials was conducted (Vesti FM, Channel One, Rossiya 1, NTV). It was found that the presentation of information was determined not only by the scale of the tragedy, but also by the broadcasting policy of the channels, which manifested itself in the layout of the releases, the use of emotionally colored vocabulary, visual images and intonation patterns. The scientific novelty lies in the comparative analysis of radio and television content, which allowed for the systematization of format-specific features and representation techniques of a natural disaster. The authors conclude that the strategy of emotional engagement of the audience and the political instrumentalization of events are dominant. A key finding was the identification of a hybrid narrative, where the tragedy served as material for addressing the conceptual tasks of the media.