もとめられる報道・ジャーナリズムの再定義

学会におけるジャーナリズム研究の歩みと課題

抄録

This article plays a part in the special 100th issue of Journal of Mass Communication Studies. We will review the history of journalism studies, the main research theme of this society, based on the featured themes and contents of this academic journal and refer to future challenges.

With regard to journalism studies, feature stories have been put together 14 times so far. Of them, elaborate feature stories have been run on three occasions. The first was reported in 1968 when the young raised revolts around the world. The second was reported three years in a law in the mid-1980s before the collapse of the Cold War and the end of Showa era. The third was appeared for three consecutive years after the Great East Japan Earthquake that hit the Tohoku area in 2011.

In the latest feature, we examined how the natural disaster caused by once-in-a-millennium tsunami that accompanied the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear disaster due to the explosion accident at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant were reported.Considering the current situation, the next feature is expected to be how Covid-19 catastrophe that shook the world was reported or how Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games held during the Covid-19 pandemic were reported.

It seems that invisible radiation hazard and invisible Covid-19 catastrophe have a lot in common. In view of its nature and role, journalism should go with the times. In that sense, these featured themes clearly show that. However, as the role and function of journalism has weaken with the form of media becoming diversified. Future challenge is to make fundamental reforms to revitalize the dwindling journalism studies.