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COMMUNITY:
Peer-reviewed article

Tweeting disaster: an analysis of online discourse about nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident

August 17, 2016 | Media and Technology
Of all the online information tools that the public relies on to collect information and share opinions about scientific and environmental issues, Twitter presents a unique venue to assess the spontaneous and genuine opinions of networked publics, including those about a focusing event like the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Using computational linguistic algorithms, this study analyzes a census of English-language tweets about nuclear power before, during, and after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Results show that although discourse about the event may have faded rapidly from the news cycle on traditional media, it evoked concerns about reactor safety and the environmental implications of nuclear power, particularly among users in U.S. states that are geographically closer to the accident site. Also, while the sentiment of the tweets was primarily pessimistic about nuclear power weeks after the accident, overall sentiment became increasingly neutral and uncertain over time. This study reveals there is a group of concerned citizens and stakeholders who are using online tools like Twitter to communicate about global and local environmental and health risks related to nuclear power. The implications for risk communication and public engagement strategies are discussed.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • Nan Li
    Author
    Texas Tech University
  • Heather Akin
    Author
    University of Pennsylvania
  • Leona Yi-Fan Su
    Author
    University of Utah
  • Dominique Brossard
    Author
    University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Michael Xenos
    Author
    University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Dietram Scheufele
    Author
    University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Citation

    ISSN : 1824-2049
    Publication Name: Journal of Science Communication
    Volume: 15
    Number: 5
    Resource Type: Research Products
    Discipline: Ecology, forestry, and agriculture | Geoscience and geography | Health and medicine | Technology
    Audience: General Public | Scientists
    Environment Type: Media and Technology | Websites, Mobile Apps, and Online Media

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