Conveying useful information to those affected by disasters accurately and promptly amid a succession of major natural disasters: The importance of press reporting should be recognized anew.
Newspaper Week has started. "Stories that close in on the truth and stand near the people" was chosen as this year's slogan. It is a realization of the magnitude of the expectations placed on newspapers.
An earthquake hit northern parts of Osaka Prefecture in June; torrential rain wrought havoc in western Japan in July; damage was caused by a typhoon in September; and an earthquake occurred in Hokkaido in the same month. Sending a number of journalists to these disaster-stricken areas, The Yomiuri Shimbun has reported the actual state of damage and the voices of people affected by the disasters. We have also established "Kurashi-no Keijiban," notice boards on which information for disaster victims is provided.
In disaster reporting, not only newspapers but also various other media, such as television and the internet, convey information, by making use of their respective strengths.
During the torrential rain that hit western Japan, evacuations did not necessarily occur even after such information as evacuation advisories and directives and an emergency heavy rain warning had been issued, and a number of elderly people died in their homes.
Why didn't they escape? The Yomiuri Shimbun, in articles examining the disaster, highlighted "a gap that exists between the act of conveying information and [people] having the information truly conveyed [to them]." The articles also revealed the inadequacy of disaster-prevention plans of local governments and were published with a belief that news reporting is something that must help to prevent similar reoccurrences.
Quality news demanded
Even with major disasters, the general public tends to lose interest over time. Whenever the occasion arises, we will convey the present state of affairs in disaster-hit areas and push for swift reconstruction.
It is a cause of concern that in recent years, responses taken by local governments have differed with regard to the disclosure of the names of those missing during disasters.
In emergencies, the serving of public interest in the search of missing people should be prioritized over the protection of private information. Local governments should not hesitate to release the names of missing persons. Whether the names of victims are reported should be the responsibility of news organizations to determine.
An emerging issue in the internet era has been the ease with which "fake" or inaccurate news spreads.
During the recent earthquake in Hokkaido, a rumor spread via social media claiming, "Another major earthquake will occur in a few hours." The Hokkaido Shimbun, utilizing its Twitter social media account, posted information refuting the rumor, on the basis of its own newsgathering.
According to the latest public opinion survey taken by The Yomiuri Shimbun, the largest number of pollees cited newspapers as the most trustworthy media. Nearly 80 percent of the pollees said they feel there is false information circulating on the internet: Among younger generations aged up to their 30s, more than 90 percent thought so.
It can be said that there is an increasing demand for accurate and quality information.
On April 30 next year, the Heisei era will come to an end. To grasp the changing times accurately and publish articles required by our readers, we will strive to fulfill the responsibilities bestowed on newspapers.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 15, 2018)
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