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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