"New Zealand's darkest day." The representation of national grief in the media: the case of the Christchurch earthquake.

Abstract

On 22 February 2011 a powerful earthquake struck the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Buildings had collapsed, businesses were disrupted, and many lives were lost. As the death toll rose and the realities of the destruction set in, a nation moved from initial shock to anger and depression—not unlike the stages of grieving. This paper discusses the stages of grieving and the mourning process as they were reflected in national media. It explores how national identity and national consciousness are related to national mourning by a review of the literature and a thematic analysis of selected media content.