This investigation examines the media response to the tsunami disaster that devastated parts of Asia and Africa in late 2004 and early 2005. However, rather than analysing the role of the media from a media theory perspective, the research aims to evaluate the role of the media from an international development perspective. This approach has been used deliberately and serves to highlight ethical considerations that should be considered by media organisations when covering catastrophes such as this. Rather than provide a critique of the media coverage, the paper relies on interviews with international development organisations, foreign correspondents and media executives to assess the media coverage of these events. The tsunami disaster was a natural disaster of an unusual but not unprecedented scale. Therefore it is important for media professionals and organisations to consider best practice for covering disasters of any type in the future.