Discourse Analytic Study of Disaster Reportage

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02674
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: SATOH Akira 大阪大学, 言語文化研究科(言語文化専攻), 准教授 (90312438)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 談話分析 / メディア / 報道 / 災害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I examined how the word hero and the equivalent expressions were used in the Western and Japanese media. The database and Internet research indicated that these expressions were used differently between them. I then related the differences in use to the differences in the notion of hero: namely, the reluctant use of the expression in the Japanese media reflected that the knowledge schema of hero in the West was not shared in Japan.
I then contrasted the differences between an original article in an American newspaper and its official translation into Japanese. In the original article, the accident was like a war, in which ‘soldiers’ were taming it, while in its translation it was not like a war, in which unknown people were calming it down. Regarding negative information, the English article told the vivid voice of the workers and that they were in danger, but the Japanese article restrained to do so. I concluded that the differences reflected those in audiences and their values.

Free Research Field

談話分析

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

原発事故に関する米紙の和訳記事において英語原文記事からの一貫した抑制的改変が行われたことから、国内メディアに対する指摘と同様、編集者／翻訳者の介入が、人々をパニックに陥れないようにという意図に動機付けられている可能性があることなど、災害報道の背後にある態度・規範・価値観などを露にすることができたのが学術的意義である。このことは、まだ緒についたばかりである、災害問題に関する人文学・社会科学の構築に資することになる。
また社会的意義としては、本研究を例示して、メディア情報を正しく読み解く力（メディア・リテラシー）の育成に役てるといった教育への貢献が挙げられる。