Baby Face of a Disaster: Kindchenschema in a Disaster Media Reporting Case Database

This study explores how Sabah Daily, a government affiliated media outlet, used children-related content as a rhetorical device in its coverage of the February 6th, 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey earthquake to influence public perception. By analysing these portrayals through the lens of Kindchenschema -infantile features that evoke positive sentiments- the study examines whether Sabah Daily framed children to shape sentiment and deflect criticism from the government’s disaster response. A comparative analysis with Sözcü Daily, a government-critical media outlet, was conducted using a two-phase approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods, tailored from the Directed Qualitative Content Analysis approach. Although the language and visual rhetoric in both outlets were remarkably similar, the frequency of children-related posts diverged significantly. Findings show that Sabah Daily significantly outpaced Sözcü Daily in the frequency of children-related posts during the first five days post-disaster, suggesting a deliberate agenda-setting strategy. The ethical and political implications of this divergence are discussed, with recommendations for further research into media-driven reality construction during crises.