After natural disasters and political upheaval throughout the world, the television news programs that have covered these events are gaining viewers and credibility.

According to an article published by the New York Times, there has been an abundance of international stories just in the past few months, and because of these stories, television news programs are gaining viewers.

“Historically, when network news is covering substantive events, the viewership goes up,” said Dr. Janet McMullen, associate professor of communications. “The harder the news, the higher the ratings.”

So far, there has been plenty of hard news available from various points around the world, including the revolutions and war in the Middle East and Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant disasters.

According to McMullen, stories like the ones that have transpired this year are stories that many people can identify with, especially with events that turn someone’s life upside down.

This isn’t the only factor that draws viewers, though, as many of these international stories have a high degree of conflict and drama.

“Conflict is drama, and drama draws eyeballs,” McMullen said. “We fall back onto classic stereotypes. Television presents it as clear as good guys and bad guys.”

According to Dr. Pat Sanders, assistant professor of communications and radio, television and film, another one of the main reasons television has gained a spike in popularity is because people are looking for solid information amidst a flow of social media.

“Those who are active participants on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook actually became attuned to what was going on through these platforms and then turned to television to obtain a more in-depth view of what was actually happening,” Sanders said.

“They were looking for some type of credibility or confirmation as to what was happening,” she said. “Television can still offer that.”

Though social media continues to grow along with technology, television can also offer new experiences with new technology that social media can’t offer.

“Yes, with high definition technology and larger viewing screens, television can offer something that social media can’t,” Sanders said. “Viewing such incidents on a larger screen is much more impactful visually than watching on a small, hand-held device or computer screen.”

With this increase of viewership, some people may think that it is just a temporary spike, but through their coverage of these events, television news has shown it still has a place, even if it may have to change its tactics.

“The medium of television isn’t on its deathbed by any means,” Sanders said. “Its world, like other traditional mediums, has changed, however.”