Author(s)

Jiawen Hu ^1,2

Affiliation(s)

¹ Department of Communication, International College-Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
² Department of Communication, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA

Corresponding Author

Jiawen Hu

ABSTRACT

Japan's decision to discharge wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant has generated wide international concern and debate. This study applies Zang Guoren's three-level framing theory to conduct a comparative content analysis of China Daily and The Japan Times between 2021 and 2024. Using systematically retrieved reports, the analysis examines macro-level frames, meso-level frames, and micro-level frames. Findings indicate significant cross-cultural differences: Chinese media consistently emphasize ecological risks and governmental responsibility, adopting a strongly critical tone that aligns with diplomatic positioning, while Japanese media highlight international relations and technical legitimacy, distributing responsibility across multiple actors and employing more neutral, technocratic language. Temporal comparison further reveals dynamic shifts in reporting strategies as the event progressed, with Chinese coverage moving from outright opposition to monitoring and oversight, and Japanese coverage shifting from preparation to explanatory justification. These results demonstrate how national interests shape media framing, risk discourse, and asymmetrical international communication.

KEYWORDS

Media Framing, Fukushima Discharge Water, Cross-Cultural Media Analysis, Environmental Communication

CITE THIS PAPER

Jiawen Hu, Framing Fukushima Discharge Water: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Media Narratives in China and Japan. Media and Communication Research (2025) Vol. 6: 129-135. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/mediacr.2025.060415.

REFERENCES

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[10] Li, S., & Lin, Q. (2025). A comparative study of Chinese and Japanese news reports on Sino-Japanese agreement on Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge: A critical discourse analysis. International Linguistics Research, 8(2), 86-99.
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