Clay Shrinkage: A problem without Media Controversy

Abstract

The damage to dwellings caused by the shrinkage-swelling of clay concerns millions of thousands of houses. Why isn't it more controversial in the public media? Within the framework of a dual approach, those of the agenda-building and the social construction of risks, the objective is to understand the reasons which encourage the various stakeholders to request or not to request media coverage of the clay risk. On the methodological level, semi-structured interviews were conducted with various actors in Puy-de-Dôme. Our study reveals that journalistic, political, technical or even administrative reasons explain this phenomenon and, moreover, that the clay risk is presented as a depoliticized risk with little media coverage, limiting the awareness of the phenomenon by the general public and the taking of decisions in order to reduce the impact of this natural hazard.

Keywords

• environmental communication
• media sociology
• media coverage of natural hazards
• public sphere
• controversy