Effect of free media on views regarding nuclear energy after the Fukushima accident

Yamamura, Eiji (2011): Effect of free media on views regarding nuclear energy after the Fukushima accident.

Abstract

Using cross-country data, this paper investigates how governance influenced views regarding the security of nuclear energy after the Fukushima accident in Japan. Key findings are: (1) citizens are less likely to agree that nuclear power plants are properly secured against accidents with the presence of a free media and higher levels of freedom of expression; and (2) freedom of expression and free media are positively associated with the presence of nuclear plants. These findings indicate that sufficient information leads citizens to both understand the risk of nuclear energy and to accept the existence of nuclear plants.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Natural disaster, Nuclear energy, Governance, Information asymmetry
• Subjects: H - Public Economics > H1 - Structure and Scope of Government > H10 - General; D - Microeconomics > D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making > D73 - Bureaucracy ; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations ; Corruption; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D82 - Asymmetric and Private Information ; Mechanism Design; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters and Their Management ; Global Warming

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