Previously submitted to: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (no longer under consideration since Aug 17, 2021)
Date Submitted: Aug 10, 2021
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
How do Japan, South Korea and China's mainstream newspapers frame Japan's decision in discharging their Fukushima wastewater? — A content analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
On April 13, 2021, the Japanese government announced releasing its radiated Fukushima wastewater into the Pacific Ocean as they are running out of storage space. Despite fierce opposition by neighboring China and South Korea, Japan has downplayed ecological and health risks possibilities. Extant literature indicates that when a message is disseminated, what matters most is not what is said but how it is said. Thus, this research examines how these countries' governments present their arguments, as propagated through their mainstream newspapers. Examining how these ideas are framed in news media enables us to explain how public beliefs are shaped and manipulated.
Objective:
The goal of this study is twofold: to identify the salient frames and themes of communicating Fukushima wastewater risk in three mainstream newspapers. It hopes to avoid risk amplification, enticing readers to "read between the lines", activating their ideological repertoire. Also, it aims to increase critical literacy skills among readers, and improve public health.
Methods:
A total of 88 news articles from January 1, 2021, to May 31, 2021, were collected from the LexisNexis database using the keywords: "Fukushima" and "nuclear": The Japan Times (TJT) 35, China Daily (CD) 34, and The Korea Herald (TKH) 19. Open-coding and thematic analysis were conducted. The coded themes were then further sorted into broader categories based on the news framing analytical framework.
Results:
Divergent frames and themes emerged in selected newspapers. TJT was of self-defence, with image protection and counter-blaming frames. In contrast, CD and TKH displayed commonalities regarding the decision, such as being irresponsible, lacking transparency, and blaming Japan and economic concern.
Conclusions:
This study timely mapped out Japan's wastewater decision coverage in the neighboring countries’ leading newspapers. Our results indicated that the Japanese risk communication of Fukushima wastewater still lacks full consideration of open communication channels, geopolitics, and public health. This could shape not only public perception, amplify risk but also increase geopolitical distrusts and community tensions. Instead, the Japanese government should heed the news frames of its neighbors and address the fears and concerns raised. It reminded relevant policymakers to accentuate geopolitics and multilateral agreements. Also, it served as a reminder for media practitioners and journalists to report news constructively and with accountability.
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