This study analyzed 242 photos from the online coverage of the 2011 Japan tsunami by the BBC, NPR, and Xinhua to examine how the location of the news outlet and location of the disaster impacted visual framing. The results showed geographic proximity influenced portrayal, with China featuring more civilian photos and images of Japanese subjects since it was closer. While most photos contained people, landscapes were also common. The role, nationality, presence, and number of individuals depicted varied based on whether coverage focused on Japan or other locations.

1. Through the Lens
Visual Framing of the Japan Tsunami in U.S., British, and
Chinese Online Media
Rosellen Downey, Erika Johnson, and Bailey Brewer
University of Missouri

2. Literature
 Framing—lack of visual framing research
 Textual elements studied more often (Matthes, 2009)
 Visual framing and natural disasters
 Most on visual framing in war and terrorism
 Few on natural disasters (Fahmy et al., 2007)
 Human interest and political power
 Human interest frames are an emerging area of research
(Peng, 2004; Schwalbe, 2008; Wojdynski, 2009)
 Often, political figures studied more than common man (Grabe
& Bucy, 2008)

3. Hypotheses and RQs
 RQ1: Does geographic location of the news outlet relate to the
portrayal of natural disasters?
 RQ2: Does geographic location of the disaster relate to the portrayal
of the disaster?
 RQa: Do roles of human beings in photos differ between NPR, BBC, and
Xinhua online coverage and between Japan and other countries?
 RQb: Does the nationality of human beings shown in photos differ between
NPR, BBC, and Xinhua online coverage and between Japan and other
countries?
 RQc: Does absence or presence of human beings in photos of flooding
differ between NPR, BBC, and Xinhua online coverage and between
Japan and other countries?
 RQd: Does the number of people shown in photos differ between NPR,
BBC, and Xinhua online coverage and between Japan and other
countries?
 H1: Geographic proximity will be related to disaster portrayal.

4. Variables
 IVs:
 IV1: Nation providing coverage
 IV2: Nation being covered
 DVs:
 DV1: Role of people/person in the photo
 DV2: Nationality of people/person in photo
 DV3: Presence or absence of people in photos
 DV4: Number of people in the photo.

5. Sample
 N = 242 photos
 From NPR (n = 58), BBC (n = 52), and Xinhua (n =
132) websites
 March 11-13, 2011 census sample
 Search term: “Japan tsunami”
 Images only coded once, no repeats
 Videos, infographics, and maps not coded

6. Results
 Sample – Most frequent in China
 China 54.5%
 U.S. 24%,
 Britain 21.5%
 Japan most frequently covered
 Most subjects were Japanese
 People present in 66% of photos

7. Significant Results
 Nation of coverage and role
 Nation covered and role
 Nation of coverage and nationality
 Nation covered and nationality
 Nation covered and presence of people
 Nation covered and number of people

8. Role
 44.4% of civil servants were from other countries
 56.6% from Japan
 Britain
 Few government authorities appearing alone
 China
 Predominantly civilian coverage

9. Nationality
 Dominance of landscape photos
 Japanese nationality occurred most in Chinese
coverage

10. Human Subjects
 Human subjects outnumbered landscapes

11. Number of People
 Few photos featuring single individual
 Mostly appeared in small and large groups

12. Discussion
 China had most visual coverage
 Geographic proximity
 Thus, China dominated coverage of civilians, photos of
Japanese subjects, landscape photos
 Xinhua’s practice of capturing frames from video news
 Focus on coverage of humans, not landscape
 But, 1/3 of photos were of landscapes overall

13. References
 Fahmy, S., Kelly, J. D., & Yung Soo, K. (2007). What Katrina revealed: A visual analysis of the
hurricane coverage by news wires and U.S. newspapers. Journalism & Mass Communication
Quarterly, 84(3), 546-561.
 Grabe, M., & Bucy, E. (2008). The struggle for control: Visual framing, news coverage, and image
handling of presidential candidates, 1992-2004. International Communication Association, 1-42.
 Matthes, J. (2009). What’s in a frame? a content analysis of media framing studies in the
world’s leading communication journals, 1990-2005. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly,
86(2), 349-367.
 Peng, Z. (2004). Picturing china: A content analysis of photo coverage in the New York Times and Los
Angeles Times. International Communication Association, 1+.
 Schwalbe, C. B., Silcock, B., & Keith, S. (2008). Visual framing of the early weeks of the U.S.-led
invasion of Iraq: Applying the master war narrative to electronic and print images. Journal of
Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(3), 448-465.
 Wojdynski, B. (2009). The interactive newspaper: Online multimedia and the framing of the Iraq War.
Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, 1-37.