“Ima sugu nigeru koto! (You must evacuate now!)” On the evening of New Years Day 2024, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake hit Japan, which was followed by the issuance of the first major tsunami warning since the Great East Japan Earthquake. On the NHK broadcasts, announcers urged for evacuation in a strong tone of voice. This paper analyzes in detail NHK’s initial disaster reporting for this earthquake in five phases, including these announcements. This study defines the calls ending with “koto” after a verb (combined, meaning “thing to do”) as an “expression of reminder” that imply a command without using the imperative form and demonstrates that “announcements for saving lives,” which NHK had developed based on the lessons of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, were utilized on a full scale under a major tsunami warning, for the first time in the Japanese broadcasting history. At the same time, the authors raise the issue that information about “tsunamis occurring on the Sea of Japan side reach faster” was not communicated sufficiently enough. Challenges in preventing disaster-related deaths are also examined, with examples including (1) international standards for the operation of evacuation shelters that has received increased attention since the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and (2) evacuation to remote areas across municipal and prefectural boundaries that has been given importance since the Great Kanto Earthquake 100 years ago. Pointing out that past lessons were not fully applied to the recent Noto Peninsula Earthquake in these respects, the authors reconsider the expected roles of the media in future disasters.

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This article is the third in a series of country-based analyses of Digital News Report 2023 conducted by the Reuters Institute of Journalism at Oxford University. This report aims to provide an overview of how citizens of Japan and South Korea consume news by examining trust and interest in the news, news avoidance, and criticism of journalists. It also investigates the change in the main sources of news, social media usage, and users' concerns about misinformation and disinformation. Japan and South Korea share similarities in their media environments, notably the dominance of the so-called 'aggregators. On the other hand, South Koreans face ideological polarisation between conservatives and progressives, in which the media plays a key role. The analysis suggests that the influence of politics is evident in trust in news, news avoidance, and news sources on social media. Concerns about misinformation and disinformation are greater in South Korea, where news organisations and universities have led a fact-checking initiative. Furthermore, the analysis suggests a change in the behaviour of digital natives. While the overall usage of aggregators is high in Japan and South Korea, 18–24-year-olds in both countries use social media more than aggregators, which trend is expected to accelerate in the future.

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In the 1920s, when radio broadcasting commenced, radio orchestras and radio choirs under public service broadcasters were born around the world. Almost a century has passed, and even now many radio orchestras remain active for the promotion of music culture, by performing for broadcasts, holding concerts for the general public, providing music education projects, etc. At the same time, with public service broadcasters facing pressure to cut costs and streamline their operations, recent years have seen a wave of debates over operational reviews, such as the closure or downsizing of orchestras in recent years.In 2023, the UK public service broadcaster BBC announced a plan to reduce the number of personnel in its three orchestras by 20 percent and close its choir. Nevertheless, strong protests from musicians and the public made the decision to be reconsidered in the direction of securing the choir. In France, its public radio broadcaster Radio France, which operates two orchestras and a choir, were pressed to cut costs under the Macron administration and decided in 2019 to reduce the number of the choir members by 30 percent while maintaining its two orchestras as they were. In Austria, the director general of the public service broadcaster ORF announced in February 2023 a cost reduction plan including the closure of its orchestra. This decision, however, was met by a strong outcry from musicians and the public on the basis of the orchestra’s achievements and contributions to date, upon which considerations are being made towards the continuation of the orchestra. Germany—the home of classical music—has 12 radio orchestras, which is more than any other country, but a debate has arisen that this should be reviewed amidst the reform of public service broadcasting. A trade and labor union for German orchestras have issued statements against this move.

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