Role of Media in Preempting Nuclear Crisis Situations
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The role and responsibility of media in preempting a nuclear crisis Gábor Sarlós lecturer, IBS Budapest PhD candidate, ELTE Budapest, School of Sociology Bucharest, 17 October, 2014
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Discourse on nuclear energy in Hungary is strongly influenced by its media representation, in fact, media is the dominant element in the public sphere of nuclear energy. An analysis has been conducted to identify what trends the media representation in 2012-2014, in the period when politically driven plans to extend nuclear energy production capacity at the Paks NPP led to an inter-governmental agreement with Russia with exclusive rights to the construction of 2 new nuclear reactors. Findings of the analysis confirm that the public relies on the media to create an understanding about the nuclear issue. Media subsequently plays a critical role in the construction of reality of nuclear energy and the Paks expansion. While earlier the media was dominated by internationally related and politically dominated news, by the end of 2013 focus turns towards Hungarian relevance and economic aspects of nuclear development. Risk and benefit perception often refers to the same characteristics of nuclear energy, differences can be rather attributed to variation in approaches. Most of the media continues to address the nuclear agenda from a linear approach, however a growing number of articles reflect an aspiration for systemic thinking. An increasing number of articles accommodate contradictory views, and titles of articles tend to reflect strong orienting and normative purposes. The research confirms the dominant role of media in shaping public perception on nuclear energy, and reinforces that in politically dominated, strategic issues, such as nuclear energy, media agenda is influenced by the agenda of individual political actors. This consequently results in limitations to the prevalence of an public sphere.
Transcript of Role of Media in Preempting Nuclear Crisis Situations
The role and responsibility of media in preempting a nuclear crisis
Gábor Sarlóslecturer, IBS Budapest
PhD candidate, ELTE Budapest, School of Sociology
Bucharest, 17 October, 2014
About crises
We should not simply handle existing crises
BUT
Do everything we can to preempt future ones
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Media and the Hungarian nuclear development plans
Media has a unique role in covering socially,politically, economically critical issues, for example in nuclear energy
Limited individual access to and personal experience with nuclear information
Media plays a critical role in the construction of reality of nuclear energy and the Paks expansion
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Media and the Hungarian nuclear development plans
The whistle blowing function contributes to the prevention of crisis situations
BUT: complacency makes media a culprit and responsible for the breaking of a crisis
What is the role the media plays in the Hungarian nuclear renaissance?
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Complexity of the nuclear issue leads to potential crisis situations
In each aspect: risks or benefits are dominant?
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Media analysisContent analysis of all articles in the 4 leading political news sites in the periods Oct - Dec 2012 (n=115) and Oct - Dec 2013 (n=137)
Analysis of media coverage of the Russian - Hungarian nuclear cooperation deal in the period Jan - Feb 2014
All articles with the key word: atomenergia (nuclear energy)
3 categories according to the relevance to the planned extension / expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Growing relevancearticles on HU
nuclear development
2012 (n=115) 2013 (n=137) 2013/2012
relevance 1(irrelevant) 72 69 0.96
relevance 2(indirectly relevant)
30 37 1.23
relevance 3(directly relevant)
13 31 2.38
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Shifting focusFOCUS 2012: international political developments
Iran, North Korea, Egypt, international nuclear cooperations
FOCUS 2013: the economics of nuclear energy
economic rationale vs. irrationality, energy dependence vs. independence
FOCUS 2014: risks vs. benefits of nuclear deal with Russia
political risks, financial risks, economic gains, social consequences
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Discourse analysisdiscourse trends 2012 2013 2014
discourse lackingparallel narratives
appearconfrontational
narratives appear
key actors politicians + economists+ various experts and stakeholders
perception dominant reality parallel realities diverging realities
role of media descriptive descriptive / normative
descriptive / normative
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Semantical analysistitles of articles 2012 2013 2014
content informational orientational confrontational
titles reflect content of article editorial intention editorial intention
values in titles non-existent risks or benefits risks or benefits
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Shifting role of media
the self representation of the media changes:
2012 - serving the public sphere
2013 - influencing the public sphere
2014 - mobilising the public sphere
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
The driving forces of media interest
a growing realisation of the complexity of the nuclear issue
political narratives and motivations
arrival at symbolic level of communication:
“Putinisation” vs. “independence”
“Energy safety” vs. “risks”
“Cheap energy” vs. “centralisation”Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis,
Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Dangers•By April 2014 there are signs that:
... the nuclear issue disappears of the headlines and becomes “business as usual”
.. the media loses its alertness and becomes possibly complacent in any potential crisis event
... major political drivers avoid articulating their interest in this issue
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Ultimatelymedia loses its agenda setting ability
the media will not exercise any influence / control over decisions related to the nuclear development plans
construction of the reality remains the domain of politicians and “their” experts
the public is left without any orientational tool regarding this highly complex issue
Gabor Sarlos Media and a Nuclear Crisis, Bucharest, 17 Oct 2014
Thank you for your attention!
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