Chisako Omuta

In disaster response, it is said to be ideal establishing the disaster management cycle. Broadcasters are also expected to contribute to the prevention and mitigation of damage by reporting in accordance with this cycle. Therefore, in order to clarify the ideal form of broadcasting and the issues, we analyzed a radio program that have continued since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. As a result, it was found that when disaster coverage was focused on a single disaster and continued over a long period of time, the content of the coverage changed in line with the disaster management cycle. In addition, it became clear that it is important for long-term disaster reporting to have academic experts and supporters appear repeatedly in the program to the extent that they become "familiar" to listeners.

<p>Radio plays an important role in functioning in times of disaster even if power and communication are disrupted. This study conducted a survey of 100 radio stations affiliated with the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association. The results show that radio is a medium to deliver information to the victims in the disaster area, and that disaster broadcasting is closely related to daily broadcasting. In addition to the four elements of disaster broadcasting that have been identified in previous studies― "disaster preparedness", "disaster reporting", "safety information", and "daily life information"― the "empathetic broadcasting" which links listeners and radio stations was found to play an important role in radio broadcasting.</p>