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The Korean Society for Journalism & Communication Studies (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).

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