Risk normalization in a nuclear reliant society: the construction of risk in French media narratives pre- and post-Fukushima

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan highlights risks associated with nuclear power. In France, a nation highly dependent upon nuclear electricity, actors create powerful official frames to shape public acceptance of nuclear risk. One component of establishing the nuclear energy infrastructure includes creation of normalizing media messages about nuclear energy, downplaying potential harms and discouraging the presence of contrasting narratives as well as social movement action. Drawing from literature on risk society, framing, and the role of media in creating and shaping discourse, we conduct a qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles published in two widely disseminated French daily newspapers, Le Monde and Le Figaro, to understand the construction of nuclear risk in France around the time of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. We argue that mainstream media promotes narratives that support nuclear energy, normalizes risk and regulates public knowledge to the detriment of antinuclear collective action even under high-risk conditions.