Abstract
This paper empirically reviews interactive dynamics of mass media, risk perception and public reaction in South Korea in response to Fukushima nuclear disaster. Research data collected from four major online newspapers in the country, which included the number of news articles and talkback replies attached to each article, and frequencies of articles transmitted through social media such as twitter and facebook. Longitudinal data of phone calls received by the call center of a radiological medical service center were also collected. Following the Fukushima accident, mass media and the public showed a strong concern about possible radioactive risk from Japan. Statistical analyses showed significant high correlations among most of major variables examined in this paper. In particular, correlations between 1) news articles and phone calls and 2) facebook uploads and phone calls with two day delay have very high coefficients of .84 and .88, respectively. Research findings underlines dynamic risk communication interacting mass media and the public in the networked environment. Risk information transmitted by online newspaper and social media have a strong influence on not only risk perception, but also behavioral reactions by the public facing a unusual disaster.
| Translated title of the contribution | Interactive Dynamics of Media Communication, Risk Perception and Public Response to Fukushima Nuclear Disaster |
|---|---|
| Original language | Korean |
| Pages (from-to) | 281-303 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | 한국정책학회보 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Mar 2018 |