Excerpt from Presentation held at Sigur Center of Asian Studies, George Washington Univ. on March 5, 2011 https://sigur.elliott.gwu.edu/2019/02/19/media-coverage-japan-earthquake/

1. Lessons Learned & Unlearned:
Media Coverage of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
Nobuyuki OKUMURA (GWU / Musashi University)
Disaster and Journalism Research Group
With Kaori Hayashi (University of Tokyo), Koji Igarashi (Otsuma Women’s University),
Atsushi Tanaka (University of Tokyo)
March 5, 2019

2. Our Questions:
-How did media review their coverage ?
-What lessons did they learn and how did they
share them with the public?
-How the reflection changed their preparation
for another huge disaster?

3. Interviews with Newsroom Leaders
- 5 National Newspapers
Asahi, Yomiuri, Mainichi, Nikkei, Sankei
- 6 Television Networks
Public : NHK
Commercial : Nihon TV, TBS, Fuji TV, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo
- 1 Press Service and 2 Regional Newspapers
Kyodo News, Tokyo(Chunichi), Kahoku Shimpo

5. 311hodokensho.org

6. Findings from Interviews w/ News Organizations
1) Fluent in Quakes and Tsunami, Taciturn in Nuclear Accident.
2) Belief of devotedly carrying Government’s information.
3) Adherence to Traditional Platforms.
4) Weak interest in Collaboration.
5) Shortage of Nuclear Specialist Reporters.

7. Limitation of Media in early stage of disaster
① Newspapers were too slow in quick reports
② Vast coverage area, low mobility
③ People’s demand for localized information

8. “Ohkawa elementary district area is
isolated.”

9. Phases of Disaster Emergency Reporting
①Evacuation
Warnings
and
Flash Reports
②Overall Picture
and
Damage Reports
③Safety
and
Security
⑤
Reconstruction
Back to Normality
④ Survival
and
livelihood in Shelters
Usefulness of Smartphones and Tablets
Impact of TV and Radio

10. Broadcasting Service Act
(amended in 1992)

12. Kisha-Club + Cross Ownership
could be the reason for
submissive attitude of news media…

13. Business Continuity Planning

15. http://mekanken.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/180528_MP-Media-Teiten-Survey-release_E-2.pdf

16. Phases of News Reports in Japan, 2011
3/11 3/12 3/13 3/14 until now
2:46pm Earthquake Breakeout
3:36pm Explosion at Reactor Bldg.#1
①Evacuation
Warnings
and
Flash Reports
②Overall Picture
and
Damage Reports
③Safety and Security
Livelihood as Refugees
Need for Localized Info.
④
Re-
construction
①Evacuation Info. Changed time to time
②Accidents Developping : Damage Unknown
③Food, Water Safety ,Displacement
④
Recon-
struction ?
Quake and Tsunami
Nuclear Accident

17. Leadership Role ?
Ministry of General Affairs Japan Newspaper Publishers
and Editor’s Association

18. Japanese media’s
“Know-all culture”

19. Huge Gap: NHK vs. Commercial Networks
① Size of Staffers
② Skills and Experience
③ Equipment (number of fixed robot cameras)
④ Operation preparedness

20. Challenges in covering nuclear accident in 2011
① Difficulty to ensure reporters’ safety
② Lack of basic knowledge on nuclear reactors
and nuclear energy
③ Highly “political” nature of reporting nuclear
policy issues

21. SPEEDI (System for Prediction of Environmental
Emergency Dose Information)

22. ©The Asia Pacific Journal

23. Lack of basic knowledge on nuclear reactors
- lead failure to establish “reliable” scientists.
- caused inability to demand appropriate
information to the government and TEPCO to
determine safety.

24. “neutral“

25. “No immediate health hazard”
“No imminent danger”
“Not on threatening level”

26. “try not to stir up people’s fear”

27. “worst case scenario”

28. Lack of Assessment Capability

29. Media need to clarify their
political standpoint
when reporting nuclear problems?

30. “Yes, but…”

31. “Nuclear Specialized Reporters” could be a solution
-Effective news gathering
-Own assessment and choices
-Trustworthy network with scientists and scholars
-Pose appropriate questions at interviews
-Advice to safety of reporters
-Educate colleagues
-Produce informative contents to users ……….

32. Nuclear Specialized Reporters
- NHK maintains two before 2011.
- Asahi Shimbun has several science department
reporters who received special training or experience.
- Kyodo set up nuclear specialized team.
- TV Asahi has several, but seem inactive.

33. Impediments against “Nuclear Specialized Reporters”
① Culture of “Generalist” reporters.
② Economic reason
- Too complicating to simplify in making stories
- Unpopular among news stories.

34. What if …..

35. If powerful earthquake occur in Tokyo
area and mega-tsunami hit east coast of
Japan during Tokyo Olympics 2020 ?

36. Fact Checking
Debunking
for safety and reassureance

37. Thank you for listening 
email: okumura@gwu.edu
@noboku Nobuyuki Okumura
okumuranobuyuki okm096