Danger in retrospect: how media approaches anniversaries of big accidents caused by technology failures

Abstract

Although applied to the discourse analysis, this paper discusses the
possible connection between the information presented on a media article and its 

repercussion on the social imaginary. By approaching the subjects of
information and communication it is possible to think about the impacts on the
symbolic cognition of the information social groups. Besides it connects the
relation of information and memory. When referring to some of the worst
catastrophes in the world, about it considers those which caused more damage to
people and environment. Observing journalist discourses used to describe
anniversaries of big accidents may be helpful to find out what can be learned on
those celebrations promoted by mass media, in order to comprehend their
impact on the social imaginary. This paper looks into how the memory of
nuclear fear discourse is constructed by considering the accidents anniversaries.
It is taken into account the multiple representations for the concept of time in
journalism. It is observed that, by celebrating some events, repeating the
narration at each time cycle, the media uses it for auto promotion. Time and
memory are discursive strategies for journalists, as the several uses of the past
bring sense to present events, and so, the value of the news is increased. As an
illustration, some magazine articles reporting the nuclear accidents of
Chernobyl, in 1986, and Fukushima, in 2011, were collected. The amount of 25
years between them can result in observation and thought about the pre-said and
the transverse discourses around them. The whole process is history oriented
and demonstrates a dispute on the production of senses.