The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis

The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis

The article examines how nuclear risk was perceived by German and Japanese journalists covering the Fukushima Disaster. Drawing from the theoretical framework of Beck’s World Risk Society, the journalists’ personal risk perceptions are reconstructed from narrative interviews, adding an important va...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Florian Meissner
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: FU Berlin, University of Erfurt 2020-03-01
Series:Global Media Journal: German Edition
Subjects:
nuclear disaster
journalism
crisis communication
risk communication
risk society
comparative research
Online Access:https://www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/dbt_derivate_00046541/GMJ18_Meissner_final.pdf
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spelling doaj-c5810c35d7c447c385f2f3e8862694542021-09-02T10:32:01ZdeuFU Berlin, University of ErfurtGlobal Media Journal: German Edition2196-48072196-48072020-03-0110.22032/dbt.40623The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear CrisisFlorian Meissner0Heinrich Heine University DüsseldorfThe article examines how nuclear risk was perceived by German and Japanese journalists covering the Fukushima Disaster. Drawing from the theoretical framework of Beck’s World Risk Society, the journalists’ personal risk perceptions are reconstructed from narrative interviews, adding an important variable to the understanding of journalistic communication on risk and disaster. The results indicate that German correspondents in Japan were highly concerned about their personal safety while Japanese journalists hardly showed any anxiety with regard to the nuclear disaster. The varying perceptions also widely applied to the journalists’ professional experience of the disaster, although further influences like organizational culture came into play as well. The article concludes that historically shaped discourses are an important macro factor for media reporting on risk and disaster.https://www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/dbt_derivate_00046541/GMJ18_Meissner_final.pdfnuclear disasterjournalismcrisis communicationrisk communicationrisk societycomparative research
collection DOAJ
language deu
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Florian Meissner
spellingShingle Florian Meissner
The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis
Global Media Journal: German Edition
nuclear disaster
journalism
crisis communication
risk communication
risk society
comparative research
author_facet Florian Meissner
author_sort Florian Meissner
title The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis
title_short The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis
title_full The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis
title_fullStr The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis
title_full_unstemmed The Fukushima Disaster and the “Clash of Risk Cultures”: Japanese and German Journalists’ Perceptions of a Nuclear Crisis
title_sort fukushima disaster and the “clash of risk cultures”: japanese and german journalists’ perceptions of a nuclear crisis
publisher FU Berlin, University of Erfurt
series Global Media Journal: German Edition
issn 2196-4807
2196-4807
publishDate 2020-03-01
description The article examines how nuclear risk was perceived by German and Japanese journalists covering the Fukushima Disaster. Drawing from the theoretical framework of Beck’s World Risk Society, the journalists’ personal risk perceptions are reconstructed from narrative interviews, adding an important variable to the understanding of journalistic communication on risk and disaster. The results indicate that German correspondents in Japan were highly concerned about their personal safety while Japanese journalists hardly showed any anxiety with regard to the nuclear disaster. The varying perceptions also widely applied to the journalists’ professional experience of the disaster, although further influences like organizational culture came into play as well. The article concludes that historically shaped discourses are an important macro factor for media reporting on risk and disaster.
topic nuclear disaster
journalism
crisis communication
risk communication
risk society
comparative research
url https://www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/dbt_derivate_00046541/GMJ18_Meissner_final.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT florianmeissner thefukushimadisasterandtheclashofriskculturesjapaneseandgermanjournalistsperceptionsofanuclearcrisis
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