The Social Reality of the Great East Japan Earthquake as a Media Event
-the Content Analysis on the NHK-TV Reporting-
2012 Volume 10 Pages 77-90
Details
2012 Volume 10 Pages 77-90
Even though many residents could have some information like tsunami warning or else, after destructive shaking in the coastal districts, their evacuation activities could not be carried out appropriately in the Great East Japan Earthquake. So, we focused on the broadcast behavior of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) as one of the representative ‘reality-stakeholder.’
By conducting a content analysis of NHK's disaster reporting, 2 principal problems were found regarding co-constructing social reality as a ‘Media event.’
First, NHK's reporting was constructed on the principle of the so-called ‘Tokyo-centrism,’ therefore, did not sufficiently contain specific and concrete details regarding the ‘locality’ of disaster information. Second, NHK's reporting could not appeal effectively for the viewers or listeners to build the recognition of the function as a ‘reality-stakeholder’ faced with the crises. Both problems were connected the basic format of the broadcasts.
