Analysis of Comparative English Media Reports That Related to the Aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster
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Sociology and Anthropology 3(9): 434-439, 2015 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.030902 Analysis of Comparative English Media Reports that Related to the Aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster Makoto Sakai Department of Media and Communications, Faculty of Information & Communications, Bunkyo University, Japan Copyright © 2015 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract I performed a comparative analysis of media "law of the nuclear power village" such as "the nuclear reports that related to the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant is safe and information disclosure is nuclear power plant disaster. I researched advanced unnecessary" and pointed out from the outside and the effort countries’ media reports on the nuclear power technology of information disclosure. In the near future, what is field, and especially those from the United States, the United necessary for Japan is not only the technology around the Kingdom, Germany, and France and so on. I focused on nuclear reactor but also introduction of "the technology that researching these countries’ news contexts and changes to the civilian observes nuclear power village" composed of the their nuclear policies, and compared the public opinions on bureaucracy, the academy and the company that have to do nuclear power policy reflected in each country’s media. with nuclear power generation. According to Ulrich Beck, in a society steeped in risks and uncertainty, the existing political system becomes the Keywords Media Studies, Sociology, Social Thought, malfunction, and technology is tinged with political Crisis Management characteristics. Consequently, a new type of democracy that controls risks and uncertainty through academic means becomes needed. I used the framework of sociology and media studies, and my research purpose is to clarify the 1. Introduction different contexts for nuclear power policy that Japanese media have not reported well in the above-mentioned I performed a comparative analysis of media reports that countries, and contribute to the enhancement of related to the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear self-information-governance educational materials about power plant disaster. I researched advanced countries’ media nuclear power technology. Currently, international media reports on the nuclear power technology field, and especially companies post news in the newspapers and on their those from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, websites in English. They post large amounts of content and France and so on. I focused on researching these every day, and update it frequently. For this research, I countries’ news contexts and changes to their nuclear gathered news texts on the aftermath of the Fukushima policies, and compared the public opinions on nuclear power Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster from newspapers and policy reflected in each country’s media. websites. For example reports of France and Germany were more realistic among other European countries. It can be said that the response towards nuclear safety of these two 2. Research Method and Purpose governments showed "Contrasted route" to which Japan should refer in the future. Then I categorized them into four According to Ulrich Beck, in a society steeped in risks and groups, to analyze what the media in the above four counties uncertainty, the existing political system becomes the have reported about Fukushima: ‘same context’ (typical malfunction, and technology is tinged with political context), ‘a different context from other countries’ media’, ‘a characteristics. Consequently, a new type of democracy that changing context from before’, and ‘proposals for the controls risks and uncertainty through academic means decommissioning and reconstruction process in Japan’. After becomes needed. I used the framework of sociology and all, this nuclear accident in Fukushima is unquestionably “a media studies, and my research purpose is to clarify the man-made disaster” occurred by having neglected the different contexts for nuclear power policy that Japanese improvement of the problem that was bound by the one like media have not reported well in the above-mentioned Sociology and Anthropology 3(9): 434-439, 2015 435 countries, and contribute to the enhancement of Minamisoma, that suffered secondary damage. For example, self-information-governance educational materials about the article pointed out that there were some misjudgements nuclear power technology. and poor instructions regarding the prevention of radiation Currently, international media companies post news in the damage and the evacuation of refugees because the System newspapers and on their websites in English. They post large for the Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose amounts of content every day, and update it frequently. For Information (SPEEDI) data was not opened right after the this research, I gathered news texts on the aftermath of the nuclear accident. There were also disparities related to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster from compensation and reconstruction of the disaster area. Other newspapers and websites. Then I categorized them into four problems were caused by the site’s bad reputation: right after groups, to analyze what the media in the above four counties the disaster, some private bus companies refused to send have reported about Fukushima: ‘same context’ (typical buses to the site because they were afraid of rumours, so context), ‘a different context from other countries’ media’, ‘a Namie residents were delayed in their flight from the changing context from before’, and ‘proposals for the radiation. In Minamisoma, it became clear after the analysis decommissioning and reconstruction process in Japan’. of the dead bodies that five refugees died not from the earthquake and tsunami, but from starvation due to how little 1. The US media analysis after the Fukushima Daiichi food and water was available right after the nuclear accident. nuclear power plant disaster Generally speaking, in Japan, there were few detailed reports In general, the US media coverage of the Great East Japan of secondary disasters because everybody wanted to forget Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident can about the problem and refused to take responsibility. The be said to have been better than that of other countries’ media NYT reports above reveal such blind spots. immediately after the earthquake, a year after the earthquake, In contrast, an NYT article from 12 March 2014 and even two years after. The US media sent a larger number mentioned Japan’s recovery from the earthquake and nuclear of reporters and journalists to Japan than other countries did, accident from the perspective of consumers, rather than from and played an important role in the Japanese media industry an administrative point of view. That day’s top article and by launching websites written in Japanese. For example, the page B2 article contained interviews with women who immediately after the earthquake, on 25 March 2011, The are living in Kobe and accumulating 500-yen coin savings.[2] Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on labour issues at the Internationally, commodity prices have been rising and nuclear accident site. The article was worthy of representing monetary value has been falling. However, in Japan, most the world as an economy report. According to that article, we people have grown accustomed to deflation, so ‘drawer should not pay attention to the workers who received good savings’ and ‘500-yen coin savings’ are very popular. I treatment, who were referred to as the ‘Fukushima 50’. We believe this is why NYT was interested in the money-saving should pay attention to the several hundred people who habits of Japanese women. NYT also reported on familiar worked without regard to risk for a monthly salary of $2,470, examples for consumers, such as the price increases at such as the Tokai painting employees who were engaged in discount ramen shops in Tokyo, the weaker yen, and the dismantling the rubble and transporting pipes in higher price advances in Japan. Building material costs and high-radiation areas. The remuneration of the workers labour costs are higher than before, so the restoration of the involved in the decommissioning works is quite low even disaster area is not going well. According to the editorial now, and there is a large gap in remuneration between page on that day, 1,607 people in Fukushima died in the corporate contractors/subcontractors and lower-tier earthquake, while more than 3,000 people died of suicide or subcontractors, which is now a major factor in increasing the health problems after the earthquake; thus, the reconstruction separation among workers. This is why the immediate WSJ of life in Fukushima has been delayed. report after the nuclear accident can be said to have Michael Sandel, who is known as the professor of proactively captured the problems that are occurring even “Justice,” a law course offered by Harvard University and today. WSJ has launched not only a Japanese version of its viewable online, began one lesson with the question of what news site, but also a site called Fukushima Watch that “justice” meant in the hurricane-stricken area when the provides accurate news from Japan written in English. This security situation deteriorated. Sandel asked his class site has continued to