[Fact Check] Problems with the media's disaster report that reported the Jeju Air plane accident.

[Fact Check]

■ Broadcast: YTN Radio FM 94.5 (20:20-21:00)
■ Air date: January 4, 2025 (Saturday)
■ Host: announcer Choi Hwi
■ Bold: Selected number fact checker

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information.


◇ Announcer Choi Hwi (hereinafter referred to as Choi Hwi): It's a fact-check time to point out false suspicious information that needs to be checked. Let's meet Cho Sun-soo's fact checker on the phone. Hello,

◆ Fact checker of Cho Seon-su (hereinafter referred to as Cho Seon-su): Yes. Hello,

◇ Choi Hwi: Today's fact-checking topic is 'disaster reporting'. Many people are heartbroken by the Jeju Air plane disaster, and until today, it was the national mourning period. But I heard there were a lot of problems with the reports related to this disaster?

◆ Selection number: On the 30th, the Korea Communications Standards Commission sent an official letter requesting compliance with the deliberation regulations related to the 'Jeju Air Passenger Disaster' to terrestrial, general flight reports and general cable broadcasters. In a broadcast related to the Jeju Air plane disaster that occurred the previous day, concerns were raised about violating the ｢Regulations on Broadcast Deliberation｣ on disaster broadcasting, so the broadcaster delivered the ｢Regulations on Broadcast Deliberation심의 on disasters that should be noted during broadcasting, and urged the broadcaster to be careful not to violate the deliberation regulations. The Korea Communications Standards Commission guided broadcasters not to violate the "Regulations on Broadcasting Deliberation" related to disaster broadcasting and that broadcasting should fulfill its public responsibility in a national disaster situation.

◇ Choi Hwi: What reports specifically did you see breaching the rules?

◆ Cho Seon-su: The controversy over the violation of the regulations was sparked primarily because terrestrial broadcasting repeatedly aired footage of the accident plane exploding as it is. Broadcasting companies such as KBS, MBC, and SBS transmitted the scene of the accident, which was being rescued through real-time streaming on YouTube, through tip-off videos and camera zoom, in which live videos showed stretchers being transported and debris collected in envelopes.

◇ Choi Hwi: In a way, it would be natural for many people to pay attention to the news from the disaster site. Why is it a violation of the regulations?

◆ Selection number: <It is also one of the basic missions of the media to protect the lives and property of the people by providing disaster information accurately and quickly in the event of a disaster. Keep in mind that the media's disaster reports also have disaster prevention and recovery functions to prevent the spread of damage and to help victims and affected areas overcome difficulties and return to their daily lives as soon as possible. Disaster reporting should not cause social confusion or anxiety, and special care should be taken to ensure that it does not interfere with disaster management or violate individual human rights, such as the victim's honor or privacy. > This is the full text of disaster reporting rules. <On the occasion of the Sewol ferry Ferry Sewol disaster on April 16, 2014, our journalists pledge to enact disaster reporting rules with this will and faithfully practice them. >It's also written. Article 15 of this disaster reporting rule is <Selected reporting avoidance>. <Excessive emotional expression, inappropriate body exposure, and interest-oriented reports that are not related to the nature of the disaster situation, such as the sobbing of the victim's family, are not made. Simple repetitive reporting of provocative scenes is avoided. Refrain from excessive close coverage that can cause unnecessary backlash or discomfort. >I've decided. In addition, Article 24-2 of the Regulations on Broadcasting Deliberation by the Korea Communications Standards Commission stipulates 'providing accurate information on disasters, etc.' Article 24-3 stipulates the stability of victims, etc., and Article 24-4 stipulates the protection of human rights of victims. You see this as a violation. Broadcasting provides accurate information in disaster situations and has regulations to protect the human rights of victims and their families.

◇ Choi Hwi: Then how was the situation in other media?

◆ Selection number: Less than an hour after the accident, some media misinterpreted the number of rescuers. According to the media, six people were rescued, and three people were rescued. The Jeonnam Fire Department held a briefing at around 1 p.m. on December 29 and explained, "Most of the 181 passengers are believed to have died except for the two rescued." These reports are false information created by the breaking news competition before the official briefing by the authorities.
The Chosun Ilbo published an online article revealing the passenger list on the plane about three hours after the disaster. There was something I deleted. In response, the Chosun Ilbo made an official position in the press conference report, saying, "I have nothing to say about this." According to Media Today, an official from the Chosun Ilbo said, "The list of passengers was different from the victims, so people posted it because they thought it might be necessary information for the safety of the people around them," adding, "In the end, there was an announcement that most of them became victims, and they deleted it after that." In a unfortunate situation where the identification of the victim
has not been completed, reports on the amount of compensation received by the bereaved family also came out without fail. There is a problem that these reports blur the nature of the issue and can cause another injury to the bereaved family who want to solve the accident and find out the cause of the disaster.

◇ Choi Hwi: There's a lot of controversy about the cause of the accident. It is reported that a long investigation and verification process remains, and on the other hand, there are many comments about the cause of the accident.

◆ Selection number: When a major disaster strikes, there is inevitably a lot of confusion in the beginning and only fragmentary information exists. However, from the beginning of the accident, our media has a practice of putting a lot of effort into finding out what the cause is. The Air Railroad Investigation Committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is in charge of the investigation. However, air accidents take a very long time to find out the truth. It is said that it usually takes six months to three years. This is because the larger the disaster, the more bad conditions overlap, so it is necessary to identify the cause from various angles. However, our media has a habit of taking pieces of clues and competing to find out the cause with them, so there is a concern that it may confuse the public and interfere with the investigation.

◇ Choi Hwi: But when such a major disaster occurs, isn't it the reason why the media exists to reveal the truth and find out the cause of the accident?

◆ Selection number: Yes. That's right. In a disaster situation, it is common for all information to be concentrated on the government, and the government has the nature of not disclosing information if it is in a situation where they are responsible. That's why free press coverage and reporting should be guaranteed. In this disaster, it has been constantly argued that safety facilities, often called localizers, the hills that hold them together, and the concrete barriers buried in them have increased the damage. However, the explanation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which is in charge of finding out the truth about this accident, is going back and forth. At first, he announced that it was not a violation of the regulations and that there was no problem, but when objections were strong, he backed down with reservations and showed these aspects. Just looking at this, the media's efforts to find out the truth are really important. However, the media should be wary of exaggerating the meaning to highlight their reporting results or overusing the opinions of experts whose expertise is ambiguous, as it can blur the essence. Related reports should also clarify the limitations. The report should reveal that it cannot be said that it is certain to estimate the cause from some of the information that has been revealed so far. In Article 14 (reporting of fragmentary information) of the Disaster Reporting Rules, readers and viewers try to recognize the limitations of the information by mentioning what is lacking or needs to be further confirmed when reporting fragmentary and short-term information inevitably without understanding the overall picture of the incident accident. >It's written.

◇ Choi Hwi: In the event of a major disaster, media companies compete for coverage. Special attention should be paid to covering bereaved families in disaster situations.

◆ Cho Seon-su: During the Ferry Sewol disaster, journalists from media companies were too competitive to cover the bereaved families and were criticized by public opinion. With this, the word 'giregi' was created. After going through this, the media industry gathered its will to create the disaster report rules mentioned earlier. This disaster reporting rule emphasizes the protection of victims' human rights in six articles. Article 18 respects the opinions and wishes of victims, their families, and people around them, such as the dead and injured, during the reporting process, and shall not infringe on their honor, privacy, or psychological stability. >I chose it. Article 19 states that the disclosure of detailed personal information of victims, their families, and people around them should be as careful as possible because there is a risk of infringement of personal rights, portrait rights, and privacy. >I'll choose it. There is also a content that the victim should not be forced to be interviewed. There is also a content that the victims accept their opinions appropriately and reflect them in the report when they decide on a representative.

◇ Choi Hwi: I heard that the bereaved families first asked the on-site reporters to comply with the disaster reporting rules in the Jeju Air plane disaster.

◆ Cho Seon-su: Media According to today, reporters at the scene said, "The behavior of the bereaved families in the Jeju Air disaster changed the reporters' reporting behavior." On the wall of the airport, A4 paper was posted, which was first prepared by the bereaved family, asking for compliance with the disaster report rules. The content is that victims and their families should not be forced to be interviewed, and special care should be taken even if they are interviewed. According to on-site reporters, the bereaved family council asks reporters to refrain from individual contact with the bereaved family at each briefing and unifies the communication channel. No matter how high public interest
is, the request for an interview is inevitably very painful for the bereaved families of the disaster. And some bereaved families are expressing their anger, saying that the report is going out differently from what they said.
The Korean media were obsessed with scenes of bereaved families sobbing and heartbreaking stories at the scene of the disaster. I think that the increased civic consciousness of the bereaved families, especially these parts that require compliance with the Disaster Reporting Rules as media consumers, is driving our media in the right direction.

◇ Choi Hwi: At the scene, the representative of the bereaved family said he needed the help of the media?

◆ Selection number: Park Han-shin, the representative of the bereaved family, said on the 30th, "From now on, we need the help of reporters. He said, "Don't meet the bereaved families individually and tell them," adding, "There are too many people who are wild and tearful, saying that about 80 (of the article) is fiction, and about 20 is real." CEO Park said, "I received a lot of business cards from reporters yesterday and today, but I have never contacted anyone," and said he would treat them as a joint coverage method.

◇ Choi Hwi: It's a word that the bereaved families of the disaster can feel distrust in the media. But what do you need help with?

◆ Cho Sun-soo: At the scene, the bereaved families asked the officials concerned to install a frozen container to place the bodies, and the officials promised to install them. But the work has been delayed a lot. In addition to this, in the early days of the accident, the information provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport was not properly provided or confused, and the bereaved families had to suffer great confusion. It is understood that the words came from the purpose of asking the media to properly inform this mess.

◇ Choi Hwi: It's a huge disaster, so we can't help but focus our eyes and ears on the news. There are many people who complain of psychological shock.

◆ Selection number: Yes. Since the beginning of December, there has been a lot of news that has surprised the public, including martial law and the resolution of the impeachment motion. As I've been hearing shocking news for a month, many people are complaining of all kinds of pain. There are a lot of people around me who seem to be sick because they care a lot about the news. Self-employed people are experiencing great difficulties as consumption shrinks. Mourning the victims of the
disaster is clearly a distinction between looking for and seeing only information about the disaster all day long. Some malicious netizens are leaving comments mocking the victims of the disaster on bulletin boards here and there. You are subject to punishment. Please make sure that people around you don't want to do this. Various unfounded information, including the cause of the accident, is circulating. Before sharing, it would be good to judge what the basis is and whether the source is reliable and have a habit of sharing it after that.

◇ Choi Hwi: Yes. We pray for the rest of the victims of the Jeju Air flight disaster. I would also like to express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. That's all for today's talk. Thank you.

◆ Selection number: Yes. Thank you.

◇ Choi Hwi: Yes. This has been fact checker of Cho Sun-soo.