Units related to radiation exposure and radioactivity in mass media: the Fukushima case study in Europe and Russia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Units related to radiation exposure and radioactivity in mass media: the Fukushima case study in Europe and Russia

AU - Perko, Tanja

AU - Tomkiv, Y.

AU - Oughton, D.H.

AU - Cantone, M.C.

AU - Gallego, E.

AU - Prezelj, I.

AU - Byrkina, E.

N1 - Score = 10

PY - 2015/4

Y1 - 2015/4

N2 - Using an analysis of the way European newspapers covered the Fukushima nuclear accident, this article explores how the mass media transmit information about radiation risks from experts to the general public. The study applied a media content analysis method on a total of 1340 articles from 12 leading newspapers in 6 countries: Belgium, Italy, Norway, Russia, Slovenia and Spain. All articles analysed were selected as being directly or indirectly related to the Fukushima accident by containing the word ‘nuclear’ and/or ‘Fukushima’ and were published between 11th March and 11th May 2011. The data presented here focus specifically on a cross-cultural comparison of the way the media use quantitative units. Results suggest that although experts are accustomed to communicating about radiological risks in technical language, often using quantitative units to describe the risks, mass media do not tend to use these units in their reporting. Although the study found a large variation in the measurement units used in different countries, it appeared that journalists in all the analysed countries preferred to describe radioactivity by comparing different radiation exposures, rather than reporting the actual measured units. The paper concludes with some practical guidelines for sound public communication about radiation risks.

AB - Using an analysis of the way European newspapers covered the Fukushima nuclear accident, this article explores how the mass media transmit information about radiation risks from experts to the general public. The study applied a media content analysis method on a total of 1340 articles from 12 leading newspapers in 6 countries: Belgium, Italy, Norway, Russia, Slovenia and Spain. All articles analysed were selected as being directly or indirectly related to the Fukushima accident by containing the word ‘nuclear’ and/or ‘Fukushima’ and were published between 11th March and 11th May 2011. The data presented here focus specifically on a cross-cultural comparison of the way the media use quantitative units. Results suggest that although experts are accustomed to communicating about radiological risks in technical language, often using quantitative units to describe the risks, mass media do not tend to use these units in their reporting. Although the study found a large variation in the measurement units used in different countries, it appeared that journalists in all the analysed countries preferred to describe radioactivity by comparing different radiation exposures, rather than reporting the actual measured units. The paper concludes with some practical guidelines for sound public communication about radiation risks.

KW - mass media

KW - Fukushima nuclear accident

KW - radiation risks

UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_139355

UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/12566

U2 - 10.1093/rpd/ncu328

DO - 10.1093/rpd/ncu328

M3 - Article

VL - 165

SP - 154

EP - 159

JO - Radioation Protection Dosimitry

JF - Radioation Protection Dosimitry

SN - 0144-8420

IS - 1-2

T2 - IRPA 2014 - 4th European IRPA Congress : Encouraging Sustainability in Radiation Protection - Switzerland

Y2 - 23 June 2014 through 27 June 2014

ER -