Focusing Events, Agenda Setting, and Narrative Numbing

ABSTRACT Focusing events are important in understanding policy change, as demonstrated in Birkland's work on agenda setting, the multiple streams framework, and the narrative policy framework. These frameworks emphasize the role of focusing events in drawing public attention to broader issues. Policy entrepreneurs leverage narratives to capture the meaning of these events and advocate for policy changes to prevent future occurrences. The COVID‐19 pandemic is a prime example of a massive global focusing event, characterized by a flood of information, misinformation, disinformation, and political polarization. We contend that these factors have diminished the impact of focusing events and the effectiveness of narratives in conveying their significance and attracting public attention. Our study examines the power of focusing events and narratives in the context of natural disasters. We analyzed 18 hurricanes, 6 pre‐COVID, 6 during COVID, and 6 post‐COVID. Using Google Trends searches, we measured public interest in these disasters over a one‐year period for hurricanes on the systemic agenda. Our findings indicate a significant decrease in public attention to hurricanes both during and post‐COVID.