On the JPquake website, residents of Japan angry at such coverage have created a "journalist wall of shame" comprising nearly 70 reports from foreign television, radio and newspaper companies since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami set off the nuclear crisis. The purpose of the website, its creators say, is to inspire reporting that is factually accurate and less speculative and sensationalist.
According to another "fact," authorities have been warning those in a position to leave Tokyo to flee the city immediately, because another severe quake or an eruption at Mount Fuji could spark a meltdown at the "Shibuya Eggman nuclear reactor" — which in reality is a live house, or concert hall, in Tokyo.
For example, Japanese and foreigners who know a little about the country reacted in shocked disbelief
when America's FOX News displayed a map of Japanese nuclear power stations that included the Shibuya Eggman plant in the Tokyo region. It remains a mystery as to how this ended up on a news program watched daily by around 1.8 million people.http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110321f1.htmlComment on the above article by an 8-year (& current) resident of Japan:
I agree that the Japanese media is frequently complacent and derelict in its duties... However, in this case, they are not the problem. They might be mostly reporting on information released from TEPCO and the government, but what else can they report on? Radiation is also being measured by independent parties, including amateurs, and my impression is that they are reporting on that as well. The main problem that this Japan Times article fails to address is things like:
•Radiation readings being given without context. MY GOD! RADIATION IN TOKYO XX TIMES NORMAL LEVELS! Sure, but what does that mean? Hint:
http://xkcd.com/radiation/ •photographs being captioned in inaccurate ways (
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12770263 – Photo 5, a caption about Sendai (pop. 1,000,000) and the “few buildings that remained standing” was absolutely true—about Minami Sanriku, the city (pop. 20,000) in the photograph.
•Unsubstantiated claims:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2011/03/16/japanese-tsunami-thousands-flee-tokyop-as-radiation-levels-reach-danger-levels-and-fears-of-meltdown-at-nulcear-plant-grow-86908-22993048/ “The Fukushima Daiichi complex was rocked by a third explosion early yesterday – and blazing fires in a fourth reactor sparked full-scale panic.” Excuse me? Panic? When? Where?; “Many Tokyo residents who chose not to head for the hills were locked up in their homes…” While it could be technically true, as many people all over the world lock their doors, the impression it gives is false...
http://squeeze-box.ca/?category_name=your_man_in_japan