Crisis in JapanFomenting Panic
by Kathryn Roja G. Raymundo
Among the positive consequences of the earthquake, tsunami, and ensuing nuclear crisis in Japan was official and public concern over the vulnerability of the Philippines to disasters. Both government officials and the press have emphasized the need for preparedness in a country that has been described as among the most disaster-prone in Asia.
But the reporting on what was happening in Japan once again emphasized the usual problems of Philippine journalism: sensationalized reporting and lack of context. As the extent of the devastation in Japan became known, fear and confusion became more and more evident in the coverage by Philippine media, highlighting the fact that too many journalists have a very poor understanding of science and engineering, among other reasons because of their antipathy to research.
An earthquake initially said to be 8.9 in magnitude in the Richter scale occurred in Tohoku near the east coast of Honshu, Japan last March 11. Since then, the United States Geological Survey and Japanese seismologists have updated the magnitude to 9.0, making it the fourth most powerful in the world since 1900 and the most powerful to hit Japan since record-keeping began in that country in the late 1800s. Hundreds of aftershocks (of magnitude 5 or greater) also occurred, with one registering 7.1 and injuring over a 100 people.
The March 11 offshore quake triggered a tsunami of more than 10 meters (approximately 30 feet). A tsunami warning was issued throughout the Pacific including the Philippines, which declared a level 2 alert.
The earthquake and tsunami caused immense damage along the northeast coast of Japan. Apart from a humanitarian crisis, Japan is also in the midst of a nuclear emergency because of the damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The Japanese government and both Japanese and international agencies are monitoring the surrounding areas for contamination and measuring the effects of radiation on the environment and health.
Pouring resources into their coverage
PJR Reports monitored the newspapers Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, and the Manila Bulletin, television news programs TV Patrol, 24 Oras, Aksyon, and Teledyaryo, and selected news websites from March 11 to 30.
The news organizations pulled out all the stops to provide complete media coverage. One advantage of the 24-hour news cycle, a development made possible by the advent of cable and free TV news channels, is that news and information are available instantaneously. When the March 11 earthquake struck, both it and subsequent events were almost immediately known worldwide.
Apart from breaking news, the news organizations monitored also provided full live coverage of Japanese and Philippine government press conferences. They also covered live government hearings on the nuclear crisis, its impact on Filipino workers and residents in Japan, and the country’s disaster preparedness.
The television networks flew news crews to Japan to get stories firsthand. Meanwhile, newspapers carried reports and analyses from international news agencies and correspondents. News websites provided quick, easy, and helpful updates and references on the situation as well as the Japanese and international response to the crisis.
Being ready
Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire and lying between the Pacific and Eurasian Plates, the Philippines is extremely vulnerable to typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Following the tragedy in Japan, the Philippine government and the press have paid particularly close attention to disaster preparedness and nuclear safety.
Reports, columns, and background information about earthquake preparedness and what to do when a tsunami strikes were plentiful in the Philippine press. Several reports also discussed the effects of and treatment for radiation sickness.
Even before the Tohoku quake, TV Patrol had aired a special report on the consequences of a major earthquake on Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. The Inquirer published “Are Filipinos prepared for the Big One?” which cited a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on the impact of a major earthquake on businesses and industries in Metro Manila. It described several possible scenarios on the amount of destruction that could be expected depending on the intensity of earthquake along the East and West Valley Faults. A number of reports and columns also asked the national government to adopt a comprehensive plan to address the risks attendant to an earthquake along the Fault.
Fanning fears
For all the positives of their reporting, some flaws remained. The images from Japan were distressing enough and suggestive of scenes from an “end of the world” movie, and the press did not need to fan mass fears by repeatedly showing clips of destruction and desolation, but it did, anyway. The delivery of such reports over TV was complete with an apocalyptic tone, and screaming headlines that did not encourage calm and rational analysis. The use of words like “deadly cloud”, “nuclear meltdown”, “radiation spreads”, “suicide mission”, and “out of control” could have been handled with more restraint.
Because a lot of things were going on at the same time, misinformation abounded, and the press was partly to blame for spreading raw and unvetted data that tended to foment panic.
For example, local news channels aired live on-the-spot interviews with Filipinos in Japan. Those interviewed were neither journalists nor experts. Others did not have any idea what was happening outside of their area, and not even aware of the statements from Japanese authorities. These Filipinos were obviously shaken by the experience and worried for their jobs and safety. But the news anchors continued to ask them questions on matters beyond their knowledge, and their answers to which were inevitably glum and pessimistic. Consequently, a number of Filipinos were pleading to get out of Japan as soon as possible.
Some reporters could not help asking variations of their favorite question, “How do you feel?” and the insensitivity did not stop there.
Amid the crisis, the Inquirer continued to run an advertisement for a book called “He Was RIGHT!” Supposedly part of a “Bible prophecy” and “proof of other stunningly accurate forecasts”, it read: “Today, the new government in Tokyo is rejecting America in favor of rapprochement with China and Russia. Japan boasts of one of the top five military arsenals and the world’s second largest navy. She can mass-produce weapons and, if desired, could become a nuclear power within a year. A serious regional crisis would spur Japan to offer its naval might to secure vital Asian sea-lanes and supplies—to the deadly peril of all of Asia!”
Missing perspective
The amount of triviality in the media coverage in the midst of crisis was really disturbing. Some of the reports were unconfirmed and the context missing, highlighting the need to develop a culture of science in the media.
24 Oras reported the Government Service Insurance System’s (GSIS) sending its employees home early last March 11 out of fear of a tsunami, since the GSIS building is near Manila Bay. The tsunami alert did not affect the Manila Bay area. Interviewing the GSIS employees and people who were hanging around in the area if they were afraid caused unnecessary anxiety. The press also reported the text scare regarding acid rain/radiation and the cancellation of classes at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and other schools. Although the press corrected the acid rain/radiation rumor, myths and misconceptions persisted because the public lacked the scientific knowledge and understanding to separate fact from fiction. With the kind of media coverage the country was getting, the massive ignorance was not suprising.
The Fukushima nuclear plant disaster underscored the importance of continuing the education of journalists. Most Filipino journalists had a difficult time reporting on the crisis because doing so demanded a level of knowledge they did not have. What was happening in Japan will greatly impact the debate on alternative energy sources, particularly the development and safe use of nuclear power. The baffling, conflicting, and limited information on the condition of the Japanese plant did not make understanding these issues any easier and instead added to the already rampant mass confusion.
The standard guidelines for journalists covering disasters indicate that they should not write stories about themselves. They should also avoid any kind of grandstanding, or playing the hero. But there was no lack of such negative examples in the reporting on the Japanese disaster. Media time and space should have been devoted instead to reports that will enable the public to better understand what happened in Japan as well as nuclear power issues.
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