Responsible Reports on Japan

[mikeysnakes]

Hey so, I feel like I'm going to seem like a dick for putting this all up, but seeing as how the situation in Japan is such a widely talked about issue I would like to try to actually make it easy for people to actually find reliable sources on this situation. The only one's I've seen to be mostly reliable is NHK World http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/ and Washington Post. That's honestly about all.

The news coverage especially in other countries has been somewhere between poor and god awful on this situation (see: http://jpquake.wikispaces.com/Journalist+Wall+of+Shame so I really hope you guys don't get too moved or scared by some of the shit that's being written because a great deal of it is overblown if not false.

Also if anyone else wants to rant on the bad stories that may be fun to read too.

 

[WrongSprite]

You need to take the bracket off the end of that link.

Christ, the ones from our British tabloids are just cringe-worthy, this is why we disown papers like the Sun and the Daily mail.

 

[mikeysnakes]

You need to take the bracket off the end of that link.

Christ, the ones from our British tabloids are just cringe-worthy, this is why we disown papers like the Sun and the Daily mail.

Ah fixed it, haha stupid me. Yeah, The Telegraph is on there too, I used to think they were actually a respectable enough source (though I'm American so what would I know). I'm not all that surprised about the American news industries on there though. The New York Times even had a quote in an article talking about how "the worst effects of chernobyl were psychological" and then a few articles later they went on to join all the other organizations by blowing things out of proportion as well. Ironic I think.

 

[WrongSprite]

You need to take the bracket off the end of that link.

Christ, the ones from our British tabloids are just cringe-worthy, this is why we disown papers like the Sun and the Daily mail.

Ah fixed it, haha stupid me. Yeah, The Telegraph is on there too, I used to think they were actually a respectable enough source (though I'm American so what would I know). I'm not all that surprised about the American news industries on there though. The New York Times even had a quote in an article talking about how "the worst effects of chernobyl were psychological" and then a few articles later they went on to join all the other organizations by blowing things out of proportion as well. Ironic I think.

Yeah I've always tended to stick the the Guardian as far as British papers go, so I was surprised to see them on the list, they're very reliable usually. Fortunately its not a serious offence compared to some of the others.

 

[Shirokurou]

Russian news are pretty reliable, cause we share a sea border with Japan and any new quakes/nuclear meltdowns might effect the Russian Far East.
Also we sent lots of EMERCOM there and the news love showing how EMERCOM works abroad.

Also, not to brag, but I donated some money to Japan today myself (via PSN). So I wish them well.

 

[mikeysnakes]

Yeah I've always tended to stick the the Guardian as far as British papers go, so I was surprised to see them on the list, they're very reliable usually. Fortunately its not a serious offence compared to some of the others.

That's true, the worst part is just the headline, which I know in America are actually usually made by the editor after the article is written, usually with the thought of getting readers in mind. So I guess it's not so bad, and I guess trying to complain about the American news is like trying to complain that it's cold in the winter.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I've been using the BBC live feed, it always states its sources, which are always from the Tokyo government or similar bodies: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

I was actually going to post a thread as well about the fear-mongering and misinformation the media have suddenly started spouting. Only 6 people were exposed to radiation above what the workers usually encounter, and even then it was minimal, and is extremely unlikely to have any longterm effects. Not to diminish the bravery selflessness and dedication of the workers at the plant, but it never became a "suicide mission".

 

[BENZOOKA]

In addition to the native trustworthy sources here, I've also used Al-Jazeera quite a lot for my information on the matter. I think it's by far the best on the Libya situation, so it's a good source to get my info from both Japan and Libya.

 

[mikeysnakes]

I was actually going to post a thread as well about the fear-mongering and misinformation the media have suddenly started spouting. Only 6 people were exposed to radiation above what the workers usually encounter, and even then it was minimal, and is extremely unlikely to have any longterm effects. Not to diminish the bravery selflessness and dedication of the workers at the plant, but it never became a "suicide mission".

Yeah, not to sound like a dick or anything but I've been shocked at the amount of people who believe that story. When the Japanese start using a somewhat offense term like Nuclear Ninja for a crisis that everyone in the country is watching, that's when you know what you're reading is bullshit. That and the fact that the fire department's using unmanned water trucks to get up and close, sure they're still exposing themselves, sure those levels could be carcinogenic, but there have just been no reports of death due to radiation.

It may seem like a small issue, but pulling on people's heartstrings with a fake story is just a new kind of awful sensationalism, possibly as bad as those things that tell people in the US they'll be effected by any more than a trace amount.