2014年1月31日金曜日

Japanese media create "pop" articles about STAP-cell discovery

Dr. Obokata's discovery, which brought big impact to the science world, is broadcasted as a mere "pop" news by Japanese media.


Her discovery is "to make cells that can grow into any tissue in the body (by Guardian)" and this is a surprisingly innovative finding.

As it is a significant scientific discovery, many US and UK media, and those of other countries report it. They explain the significance, how the system works, the risks for human use and so on.

BBC : Stem cell 'major discovery' claimed

The Independent : Stem cell breakthrough: Japanese scientists discover way to create 'embryonic-like' cells without the ethical dilemma

CNN : Stem cell breakthrough may be simple, fast, cheap


In Japan, media also report this breakthrough, but they seem rather reporting something pop, such as Dr. Obokata's daily life and her joshi-ryoku (which literally means "girl's power" in Japanese: their make up, dressing, that how the behave as a "nice woman") in the article.

Reading these English articles and Japanese articles, I was astound that Japanese media don't report any essential elements such as the research milestones, achievements or the benefit. It seems rather a "pop magazine article" than a "conservative media report" for me. 

Checking on the Internet, I read some negative opinion for Japanese media tendency for the reasons above. I also agree to it, because they report it as a mere "contents for consumption".

Some of the coverage on newspapers and TV, they reported Dr. Obokata's personal life and sometimes "how young female researcher brought big impact on scientific field" or that "she encouraged the prospective Japanese researcher in that field".


Is it the essence of this research?

It should be not what her life is like or how her action encourages the people, but what she discovered and what it makes a change into our life or the scientific world that is highlighted in this course of finding. Foreign media's neutral and objective coverage is what should be done originally. I became skeptic that  Japanese media did unreasonable coverage and that they didn't focused into the essence.


Japanese media had better take a look on the essence of this breakthrough and treat the researcher fairly in social and gender context.

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