4 The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake: “Public Information” for Alternative Earthquake Publics

When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck on October 17, 1989, San Jose State University students in an introductory Mass Media and Culture class were working on individual “media consumption” diaries. The students were asked to self-report when they made use of media over a five-day period and reflect on their practices. One student reported in her diary that she turned to the media almost immediately after the earthquake: “After I was sure I was OK and so were my neighbors, I ran upstairs to find our battery operated radio. No one had one in our apartment complex but me!” This student continued to be enthusiastically interested in the earthquake, writing, “I can't wait to hear what's up. We have no electricity. But thank God we do have a battery operated radio!”
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