Content analysis of the media reporting on the Fukushima nuclear accident in three European countries

The nuclear accident in Japan induced enormous media coverage. Mass media play a dominant role in communication on nuclear emergency issues. It is the prominent information channel for the general public, acting as the „„watchdog‟‟ of the society. Analysing the media content allows gaining a better insight into the way that a nuclear accident is reflected in nowadays society. It also provides useful lessons to be learned for risk communication in nuclear emergencies. In this study media reporting on the Fukushima nuclear accident in three European countries Italy, Belgium and Slovenia, was analyzed and compared. The newspapers included in the analysis were Le Soir and De Standaard in Belgium; Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica in Italy and Večer and Delo in Slovenia. The articles coded were directly or indirectly related to the Fukushima nuclear accident and were published between the 11.03.2011, until 11.03.2011. The paper reports on quantitative aspects, such as the number of articles published and the main issues addressed, as well as on qualitative aspects such as the connotation of the articles with respect to nuclear energy. Differences and similarities across the three countries as regards the media discourse and content are highlighted and analysed.