Case Study on Japan
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8/3/2019 Case Study on Japan
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Case Study: Public Communication Failure for Japanese
Nuclear Power Plant Event
Posted: April 21, 2011 inUncategorized
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This chapter has focused on the mechanism for successfully communicating risk. In many
ongoing events, the basic set of guidelines established here, do not always work perfectly
because of the suddenness, depth and breadth of the event. A case in point is the recent
cascade of major events in Japan including an earthquake, tsunami, and a severely damaged
nuclear power plant.
On a backdrop of significant infrastructure damage, personal loss and tragedy, and chaos in
many, if not all aspects of communication, the risks to the local community and the world
from a nuclear power plant failure had to be communicated. Throughout the world, there are
well researched and well-trained communications procedures for keeping communitiesabreast of the current, as well as the potential, threat from a static or dynamic event at a
nuclear power plant. How did these communications procedures work following the one-two
punch of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan?
There are three major parties providing either formal or informal risk communications
relating to plant conditions, the immediate threat to residents and workers near the plant, and
the threat to people out of country who face radioactive contamination from material carried
by the wind. The first is the company, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The second
is the government, and finally the international media. The 24/7 nature of the media,
especially cable television increased the breadth and depth of the coverage but may also have
contributed to the deluge of poorly vetted information and contradictory protective actions
and conveyance of risk.
Since Chernobyl there has been a great deal of debate about are the real threats posed by
damaged nuclear power plants. Crafting a fully acceptable message during blue skies is
complicated while the same message during a major event is oftentimes impossible. The need
for credible public and company officials to present the message is complicated by media use
of experts who may not have any firsthand knowledge of plant conditions or protective
actions.
During the recent events in Japan, both the civilian and company officials were painted by themedia as less than credible due to incompetence or collusion. Incompetence was inferred
from the slowness of communications and the significant changes and restatement of
previous pronouncements. Collusion was alleged because the company and civilian officialscoordinated messages. Although the company and civilian officials made their messages on
the science and on generally accepted practices in the nuclear power generation business,
their focus was on the people with direct risk around the plant possibly not understanding
their audience and critics were worldwide.
In this situation, the immediate risk population was educated prior to the event of the risks as
well as the proper protective actions that would be ordered following an event. As expected,
the protective action recommendations expanded as the risk increased during the weeksfollowing the earthquake. Sheltering in place recommendations evolved into to evacuations
http://chucklanza.net/category/uncategorized/http://chucklanza.net/category/uncategorized/http://chucklanza.net/category/uncategorized/http://chucklanza.net/2011/04/21/case-study-public-communication-failure-for-japanese-nuclear-power-plant-event/#respondhttp://chucklanza.net/2011/04/21/case-study-public-communication-failure-for-japanese-nuclear-power-plant-event/#respondhttp://chucklanza.net/2011/04/21/case-study-public-communication-failure-for-japanese-nuclear-power-plant-event/#respondhttp://chucklanza.net/category/uncategorized/ -
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downwind then 360 degrees around the plant when the potential for controlled and possibly
uncontrolled releases were increased.
When developing a strategy for providing risk communication we tend to think linearly with
a continuous and objective feedback mechanism. What we found in Japan following the
recent disaster is that in some events there are many obstacles to successful communicationsincluding; damaged communications infrastructure, inaccurate and unvetted communications,
as well as the different messages needed for local versus worldwide audiences.