What Can Journalism Do for Victims
by Norihide Miyazaki
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the following tsunami, and the deadly accidents at nuclear
power plants might be the worst disaster in Japanese history. This news becomes a
top story almost every day in the U.S. media as well, so we are informed of the tremendous
power the tsunami has caused thorough photos or video footage and the serious condition
of stricken areas by reports. But this tragedy is covered as an incident in a foreign
country.
This urges me to reconsider, as a Japanese-American and journalist, what the media
can or should do and what the role of the media is in a domestic disaster.
Victims need information the most, said Emi Sakamoto, an editor from a T.V. station
in Tokyo and whose parents are sheltering in Sendai, which was hit by tsunami. It's
an unprecedented situation. It could be helpful if each TV station broadcasts different
kind of information. For example, NHK is responsible for general information, FUJI
TV is responsible for information about nuclear plants and so on.
There are six main TV stations in the metropolitan area in Japan. Each of them has
its own nationwide network. She is not the only person who feels the need of assignment
among media. Every TV station tells almost the same story. Specialists explain the
same thing all the time, said Harumi Miyazaki, who lives in Saitama near Tokyo. Can
rolls be assigned among them because there are many TV stations?
Information about the safety of missing people is important. According to Sakamoto
TV, programs broadcast individual video messages of evacuated people in the disaster
areas. People who are interviewed try to appeal their safety to family through video
messages, said Sakamoto. But she points out that these messages sometimes are not
broadcast in the disaster area, but only in the metropolitan area. Some messages
are not broadcast because of limit of length of programs although they might be their
only hope, said Sakamoto. That is equal to profanity.
The television audiance expects weather reporters can do something in the disaster
area beyond coverage of stories. Reporters get to the disaster area where supplies,
food, and information don't reach and ask victims 'what do you need?' Can they bring
some information or food at least? asked Toshie Nagatsuka, who lives in New York.
We all audience feel frustrated because we can't go there even if we want to do so.
I can't help thinking people who can go the scene can be of help.
As to the same situation, another audience in Japan says, It is not useless if reporters
don't report victims' needs to a rescue headquarter after interviewing them.
Expectation of audience for reporters covering victims seems to be common now in Japan.
When from a helicopter a TV crew were shooting an image of people on the top of a
building asking help by waving their umbrellas, one of audience wondered whether the
crew could let them know, for example by dropping a memo, that they would report rescue
team.
I am suspicious of TV news, said Yoshimi Katahira, who lives in Chiba near Tokyo.
because reporters report the same story from the same spot although we are urged to
save electricity.
Under shortage of electricity, some people in front of TV are upset. Victims are
hungry for information. If they do live report, please let victims watch by using
electricity from live truck, said Sakamot.
Generally speaking, in the newsroom it is thought that emotional impact makes a story
interesting. Editors judge what is attractive to their audience and keep this in mind.
Reporters in the field also stay conscious of what interests people when they're covering
stories.
When I covered the tsunami disaster in Indonesia in 2004 and the earthquake in Sichuan
in China 2008, I covered stories from the viewpoint of a foreigner. I focused on the
fear of natural disasters, impressive damages, miserable tragedies or touching human
stories for Japanese people to be interested in them.
But now I am sure these ways are not true of this disaster in my country, Japan. The
angle and mission of a journalist will change when a fatal disaster hits his country
because he is not a bystander but a party.
If you want to be a professional journalist, please think seriously about for whom
you work, what you can do, and what you should do for victims when a deadly disaster
strikes your country, your friends, your family and yourself.
