Target of mass media -Scapegoat transition -

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If a disaster occurs, mass media have a tendency to try to identify and pursue a target (e.g. a person, a group, organization, society, and culture) in charge of the tragic event. Frequency of the newspaper articles pursuing targets (scapegoats) varies and fluctuates through time. We construct a wave pattern model to explain transitions in scapegoats. News articles on derailment accident (JR Fukuchiyama line), infection (01577and SARS) and foot-and-mouth disease were analyzed. The result showed that the targets of attack in the news stories have been initially directed at individual persons, followed by groups, systems, country and society. Furthermore, results of laboratory experiments suggest the existence of biases regarding the perception of frequency estimation.