| Project/Area Number |
20K13677
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 08010:Sociology-related
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| Research Institution | Tsuda University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥90,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
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| Keywords | fake news / conspiracy theory / populism / infodemic / health literacy / news framing / disinformation / Health literacy / Fake news / Conspiracy theory / New frame analysis / Misinformation / Infodemic / COVID-19 / news frame analysis / misinformation / conspiracy theories / media literacy / post-truth / cultural backlash / tipping point |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
This research examines why Japan is seemingly immune to the resurgence of populism, which is plaguing many democracies in today’s age of fake news and post-truth. It employs a quantitative approach with original survey data and a framework based on the cultural backlash and tipping point theories.
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The aim of this research was to establish a theoretical framework to model and examine populism and fake news in Japan. Overall, the project objectives were achieved. A multidisciplinary theoretical framework was established together with 4 quantitative studies. Study 1 focused how to counter of fake news (infodemic) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 2 evaluated the extent of conspiracy theory beliefs in Japan. Study 3 examined whether Japan’s strict refugee policy was supported or criticised by Japanese news media. Study 4 developed a quantitative chronicle of how the term ‘fake news’ had been depicted in Japanese news media. The findings of the 4 studies were published in 4 peer-reviewed academic journal articles and 1 chapter in an edited book.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
This research empirically demonstrated the characteristics of populism and fake news in Japan in the digital age using an original multidisciplinary framework. It covered topics from the COVID-19 infodemic, conspiracy theories, to media depictions of controversial topics like fake news and refugees.
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