Your browser does not support the PubReader view.
Go to this page to see a list of supporting browsers.
The Korean Society for Journalism & Communication (KSJCS)
[ Article ]
Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies - Vol. 68, No. 3, pp.125-155
ISSN: 2586-7369 (Online)
Print publication date 30 Jun 2024
Received 05 Apr 2024 Accepted 27 May 2024 Revised 29 May 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20879/kjjcs.2024.68.3.004

재난 보도 영상 화면의 피해자 묘사에 대한 뉴스 이용자의 뉴스 가치 평가

오령** ; 윤호영***
**고려대학교 정보문화연구소 연구교수 vxxohr@gmail.com
***이화여자대학교 커뮤니케이션‧미디어학부 조교수 hoyoungyoon@ewha.ac.krhoyoungemail@gmail.com
News Users' Evaluation of News Values for Victim Depictions in Disaster Coverage
Ryeong Oh** ; Ho Young Yoon***
**Research Professor, Research Institute for Information and Culture, Korea University, first author vxxohr@gmail.com
***Assistant Professor, Division of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, corresponding author hoyoungyoon@ewha.ac.krhoyoungemail@gmail.com

초록

본 연구는 재난 보도 화면의 피해자 묘사 장면의 적절성을 뉴스 이용자를 통해 평가하는 연구이다. 9가지 뉴스 가치 차원에서 피해자 묘사 장면에 대한 뉴스 사용자들의 평가와 경중 판단을 조사하고, 이러한 뉴스 가치 평가가 뉴스 이용자의 알 권리와 피해자 프라이버시 익명 처리 필요성에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 연구는 2022년 이태원 참사 보도 시 실제 방송된 뉴스 영상 화면의 피해자 이미지를 이용자에게 보여주고, 그에 대한 견해 판단을 설문으로 조사하였다. 뉴스 가치를 장면의 규모성, 충격성, 사회적 중요성, 부정성, 일치성, 시간성, 장소성, 개인성, 지위성으로 살펴본 결과 재난 피해자 묘사 장면에서 가장 중요한 가치는 규모성, 충격성, 사회적 중요성 등으로 나타났다. 반면, 뉴스의 시간성과 부정성은 상대적으로 낮은 뉴스 가치를 가졌다. 뉴스 이용자들이 평가한 알 권리 가치와 피해자 보호 프라이버시 익명처리 필요 가치는 실제 시신이 보이는 사고 순간부터 시신이 구급차로 이동하는 화면까지 통계적으로 차이가 없었다. 즉, 이들 두 가치는 상호 갈등하는 가치였는데, 사고 직전이나 사고장소 바깥의 구급차 집결, 피해자 추모 등의 화면에서는 알 권리의 필요성이 더 우세했다. 뉴스 가치가 알 권리 및 프라이버시 보호 필요성에 미치는 영향을 살펴본 결과 알 권리에서는 사회적 중요성, 현장 대표성의 일치성이 정적인 관계를 가진 반면, 프라이버시 보호에서는 개인성과 충격성이 정적인 관계를 가졌다. 본 연구는 재난 보도에서 직접적인 죽음 묘사 장면에 대한 뉴스 가치를 이용자의 평가를 통해 검증하였다는 의의를 가진다.

Abstract

This study evaluates the sensationalism of victimization visuals in disaster coverage from the perspective of news users. It examines how news users assess the news value of victim depictions in disaster coverage and investigates the impact of these evaluations from the two viewpoints: ‘the right to know’ and ‘the need to anonymize victims' privacy.’ The study was conducted using a survey in which participants were shown images of victims from actual news coverage of the 2022 Itaewon tragedy. The news values were evaluated using several criteria, including the scene scale, shockingness, social importance, negativity, congruence, timeliness, proximity, personalization, and status.

The results indicated that the highest news value is the scale, followed by shockingness, and social importance regarding the depiction of victims. Negativity and timeliness had relatively lowest values in the disaster victim visuals. Furthermore, the study found that the values of ‘the right to know’ and ‘victim privacy anonymity’ were in conflict. The need for the right to know and the need for privacy were not statistically different in visuals involving dead bodies at the moment of the accident when the bodies were visible. However, the need for privacy was more dominant in scenes showing the immediate aftermath of the accident, such as ambulances gathering outside the accident site and memorializing victims. This suggests that while the public’s right to know is considered important, there is a heightened sensitivity to privacy in more intimate and reflective moments of disaster coverage.

When examining the impact of news values on the right to know and the need for privacy, the study found distinct relationships. Social importance and on-scene consonance were positively related to the right to know, indicating viewers perceive these aspects as critical for their understanding of the event. Conversely, individuality and shockingness were positively related to the need for privacy, suggesting that more personal and graphic depictions raise greater concerns about victim anonymity and protection. This disparity highlights a nuanced understanding of how certain elements are prioritized in the depiction of disaster scenes.

This study holds significance as it verifies the news values evaluated by users regarding direct depictions of death scenes in disaster reporting. By providing a comprehensive analysis of how various news values were evaluated by the public, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on responsible journalism and the sensationalism of news images. It highlights the delicate balance between informing the public and respecting the privacy of victims, offering insights that could guide future disaster reporting practices to be both informative and respectful.

In conclusion, the findings underscore the importance of considering news users' perspectives when evaluating the sensationalism of images in disaster coverage. The conflict between the right to know and the need for privacy protection reflects broader ethical dilemmas faced by journalists. This study provides a valuable framework for understanding these complexities and emphasizes the need for thoughtful and sensitive reporting in the face of tragedies.

Keywords:

Disaster Coverage, News Value, Visual Image, News Users, Right to Know

키워드:

재난 보도, 뉴스 가치, 영상 화면, 뉴스 이용자, 알 권리

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, as part of the 2023 Broadcasting Research Support Project(본 연구는 2023년 방송문화진흥회 방송연구지원사업의 지원을 받아 수행되었음).

References

  • Adams, W. C. (1986). Whose lives count? TV coverage of natural disasters. Journal of Communication, 36(2), 113-122. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1986.tb01429.x]
  • Baek. S.-G., & Lee, O.-K. (2013). A comparative study of media coverage on natural disasters among Korea, Japan and U.S.: Focused on coverages on Japanese earthquake and Tsunami among KBS TV, NHK TV and CNN TV. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 57(1), 272-304.
    백선기·이옥기 (2013). 재난방송 보도에 대한 국가별 채널 간 보도태도의 비교연구: KBS, NHK, CNN의 일본 대지진 방송보도에 대한 내용분석을 중심으로. <한국언론학보>, 57권 1호, 272-304.
  • Barthes, R. (1977). Image-music-text. New York, NY: Hill and Wang.
  • Bell, A. (1991). The language of news media. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
  • Boltanski, L. (1999). Distant suffering: Morality, media and politics (G. Burchell, Trans.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1993). [https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511489402]
  • Caple, H., & Bednarek, M. (2013) Delving into the discourse: Approaches to news values in journalism studies and beyond. Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
  • Caple, H., & Bednarek, M. (2016). Rethinking news values: What a discursive approach can tell us about the construction of news discourse and news photography. Journalism, 17(4), 435-455. [https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884914568078]
  • Carroll, E. C. (2017). Making news: balancing newsworthiness and privacy in the age of algorithms. Georgetown Law Journal, 106(1), 69-114.
  • Chouliaraki, L. (2006). The aestheticization of suffering on television. Visual Communication, 5(3), 261-285. [https://doi.org/10.1177/1470357206068455]
  • Dill, R. K., & Wu, H. D. (2009). Coverage of Katrina in local, regional, national newspapers. Newspaper Research Journal, 30(1), 6-20. [https://doi.org/10.1177/073953290903000102]
  • Ewart, J., & McLean, H. (2019). Best practice approaches for reporting disasters. Journalism, 20(12), 1573-1592. [https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918757130]
  • Fisher, C. (2017). Re-assessing the “public’s right to know” The shift from journalism to political PR. Journalism Studies, 18(3), 358-375. [https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2015.1065196]
  • Gauthier, C. C. (1999). Right to know, press freedom, public discourse. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 14(4), 197-212. [https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327728JMME1404_1]
  • Gitlin, T. (1980). The whole world is watching: Mass media in the making and unmaking of the new left. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
  • Golding, P. (1981). The missing dimensions - News media and the management of social change. In E. Katz & T. Szecskö (Eds.), Mass media and social change (pp. 63-81). London, UK: Sage.
  • Graber, D. A. (1987). Television news without pictures?. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 4(1), 74–78. [https://doi.org/10.1080/15295038709360115]
  • Gynnild, A. (2014). Surveillance videos and visual transparency in journalism. Journalism Studies, 15(4), 449-463. [https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2013.831230]
  • Hanusch, F. (2012). The visibility of disaster deaths in news images: A comparison of newspapers from 15 countries. International Communication Gazette, 74(7), 655-672. [https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048512458560]
  • Houston, J. B., Pfefferbaum, B., & Rosenholtz, C. E. (2012). Disaster news: Framing and frame changing in coverage of major US natural disasters, 2000–2010. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 89(4), 606-623. [https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699012456022]
  • Houston, J. B., Schraedley, M. K., Worley, M. E., Reed, K., & Saidi, J. (2019). Disaster journalism: Fostering citizen and community disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience across the disaster cycle. Disasters, 43(3), 591-611. [https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12352]
  • Hughes, A. L., Palen, L., Sutton, J., Liu, S. B., & Vieweg, S. (2008, May). Site-seeing in disaster: An examination of on-line social convergence. Paper presented at the 5th International ISCRAM Conference, Washington, DC.
  • Im, Y.-H., Kim, E.-M., Kim, K., & Kim. Y. (2008). News perceptions and uses among online-news users. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 52(4), 179-204.
    임영호·김은미·김경모·김예란 (2008). 온라인 뉴스 이용자의 뉴스관과 뉴스이용. <한국언론학보>, 52권 4호, 179-204.
  • Journalists Association of Korea (2014). Guidelines for disaster reporting. Retrieved 5/20/24 from https://www.journalist.or.kr/news/section4.html?p_num=10
    한국기자협회 (2014). 재난보도준칙.
  • Jung, S.-Y., & Nam, S.-H. (2012). The study on non-reporting and exclusive coverage of general news program of terrestrial broadcasters: Focusing on news subject and news value. Korean Journal of Broadcasting and Telecommunication Studies, 26(4), 265-309.
    정수영·남상현 (2012). 지상파TV 3사 종합뉴스프로그램의 무보도와 단독보도 뉴스에 관한 연구. <한국방송학보>, 26권 4호, 265-309.
  • Kay, L., Reilly, R. C., Connolly, K., & Cohen, S. (2010). Help or harm?: Symbolic violence, secondary trauma and the impact of press coverage on a community. Journalism Practice, 4(4), 421-438. [https://doi.org/10.1080/17512780903429829]
  • Kim, K.-H., & Jung, S. (2023). A study on the journalism value pursued by Korean journalists: Focusing on the analysis of the 50-year evaluation of the Korean Journalist Award. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 67(4), 124-157. [ https://doi.org/10.20879/kjjcs.2023.67.4.004 ]
    김경희·정사강 (2023). 한국 언론의 저널리즘 가치 연구: 한국기자상 50년의 심사평을 중심으로. <한국언론학보>, 67권 4호, 124-157.
  • Kim, K.-H., Shim, M.-S., & Park, E.-H. (2012). A study on consumer perception of standards for sexually suggestive features of television programs. Journal of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research, 78, 109-135.
    김경희·심미선·박은희 (2012). 텔레비전 프로그램의 선정성 심의기준에 대한 수용자 인식 연구. <방송통신연구>, 78호, 109-135.
  • Kim, S. (2003). Visualizing news objectivity: A comparative case ctudy of environmental television news in the US and Korea. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 47(5), 363-384.
    김수정 (2003). 뉴스 객관성의 영상화: 한국과 미국의 환경뉴스 사례의 비교연구. <한국언론학보>, 47권 5호, 363-384.
  • Korea Communications Standards Commission (2022). Meeting minute of the 42nd Meeting of the Broadcast Review Bureau in 2022. Retrieved 5/20/24 from https://www.kocsc.or.kr/cop/bbs/selectBoardList.do
    방송통신심의위원회 (2022). 2022년 제42차 방송통신위원회 회의록.
  • Lee, C. (2012). A study on characteristics, sensationalism and reality representation of CCTV video on TV news. Broadcasting & Communication, 13(4), 5-43.
    이창훈 (2012). CCTV영상의 보도 특성과 선정성, 현실 재현에 관한 연구. <방송과 커뮤니케이션>, 13권 4호, 5-43.
  • Lee, C.-H, & Sohn, S.-H. (1999). Importance of television news items and their characteristics. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 44(1), 412-440.
    이창현·손승혜 (1999). 뉴스 아이템의 특성에 따른 TV 뉴스의 중요도 차이. <한국언론학보>, 44권 1호, 412-440.
  • Lee, G. O. (2020) The legal harmony between personal information protection and public interest under the official information disclosure act: Focusing on privacy infringement under the COVID-19 pandemic. Korean Journal of Communication & Information, 103, 145-176. [ https://doi.org/10.46407/kjci.2020.10.103.145 ]
    이근옥 (2020). ‘정보공개법’상 개인정보 보호와 공익의 조화: 코로나 19 팬데믹하에서의 프라이버시 침해를 중심으로. <한국언론정보학보>, 103호, 145-176.
  • Lee, J. H., Gil, W. Y., Kang, S., & Choi, Y. J. (2013). A comprehensive and structural approach to news values in multimedia environment: Extraction of a structural model of news values. Korean Journal of Broadcasting and Telecommunication Studies, 27(1), 167-212.
    이종혁·길우영·강성민·최윤정 (2013). 다매체 환경에서의 뉴스 가치 판단 기준에 대한 종합적 구조적 접근: ‘뉴스 가치 구조모델’ 도출. <한국방송학보>, 27권 1호, 167-212.
  • McCosker, A. (2013). De-framing disaster: Affective encounters with raw and autonomous media. Continuum, 27(3), 382-396. [https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2013.772109]
  • McQuail, D. (2013). Journalism and society. London, UK: Sage. [https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526435798]
  • Montague, P. (1997). Government, the press, and the people’s right to know. Journal of Social Philosophy, 28(2), 68-78. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9833.1997.tb00376.x]
  • Pantti, M., & Andén-Papadopoulos, K. (2011). Amateur images and global news. Bristol, UK: Intellect.
  • Pantti, M., & Wahl-Jorgensen, K. (2007). On the political possibilities of therapy news: Media responsibility and the limits of objectivity in disaster coverage. Communication studies, 1(1), 3-25.
  • Pantti, M., Wahl-Jorgensen, K., & Cottle, S. (2012). Disasters and the media. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
  • Ryu, S. K., & Kang, K. S. (2011). The current situation and direction of national and international news agencies’ disaster-related reporting, using Delphi method for professionals. Journal of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research, 76, 140-169.
    유승관·강경수 (2011). 세계 뉴스통신사의 재난·재해 뉴스보도의 실태와 개선방안 연구: 전문가 델파이 조사를 중심으로. <방송통신연구>, 76호, 140-169.
  • Salwen, M. B. (1995). News of Hurricane Andrew: The agenda of sources and the sources’ agendas. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 72(4), 826-840. [https://doi.org/10.1177/107769909507200406]
  • Sanfilippo, M. R., Shvartzshnaider, Y., Reyes, I., Nissenbaum, H., & Egelman, S. (2020). Disaster privacy/privacy disaster. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 71(9), 1002-1014. [https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24353]
  • Scanlon, J. (2006). Unwelcome irritant or useful ally? The mass media in emergencies. In Rodríguez, H., Quarantelli, E. L., Dynes, R. R. (Eds.), Handbook of Disaster Research. (pp. 413–429). New York, NY: Springer Publishing. [https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-32353-4_24]
  • Scanlon, J. (2007). Research about the mass media and disaster: Never (well hardly never) the twain shall meet. In D. A. McEntire (Ed.), Disciplines, disasters, and emergency management (pp. 75-94). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
  • Shoemaker, P. J. (1996). Hardwired for news: Using biological and cultural evolution to explain the surveillance function. Journal of Communication, 46(3), 32-47. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1996.tb01487.x]
  • Shoemaker, P. J., & Cohen, A. A. (2012). News around the world: Content, practitioners, and the public. New York, NY: Routledge. [https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203959091]
  • Shoemaker, P. J., Danielian, L. H., & Brendlinger, N. (1991). Deviant acts, risky business and US interests: The newsworthiness of world events. Journalism Quarterly, 68(4), 781-795. [https://doi.org/10.1177/107769909106800419]
  • Simon, T., Goldberg, A., & Adini, B. (2015). Socializing in emergencies - A review of the use of social media in emergency situations. International Journal of Information Management, 35(5), 609-619. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.07.001]
  • Steffens, M. (2012) Covering disasters without becoming one. In M. Steffens, L. Wilkins, F. Vultee, E. Thorson, G. Kyle, & K. Collins (Eds.), Reporting disaster on deadline: A handbook for students and professionals (pp. 1-9). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Thomson, T. J. (2021). Picturing destruction at home and abroad: A comparative visual analysis of icons and news values during disaster. Media International Australia, 181(1), 197-216. [https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X211008181]
  • Thorson, E. (2012). The quality of disaster news: Frames, disaster stages, and a public health focus. In M. Steffens, E. Thorson, G. Kyle, K. Collins, & F. Vultee (Eds.), Reporting disaster on deadline (pp. 69-80). New York, NY: Routledge.
  • Tuchman, G. (1978). Making news: A study in the construction of reality. New York, NY: Free Press.
  • Van Gorp, B. (2007). The constructionist approach to framing: Bringing culture back in. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 60-78. [https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0021-9916.2007.00329.x]
  • Yan, Y., & Bissell, K. (2018). The sky is falling: Predictors of news coverage of natural disasters worldwide. Communication Research, 45(6), 862-886. [https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650215573861]
  • Zelizer, B. (2010). About to die: How news images move the public. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.