GNVis about many topics such as conflict, poverty, politics, and other events that are covered in the Japanese media and those that are not.analysisThe first two are the first two years of the new year. Among them, we focus this time on reports on refugees and displaced persons. In recent years, the number of refugees and displaced persons who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflicts and natural disasters has been increasing around the world.increaseThe company is doing so.

How are such displaced people forced from their homes being covered in the Japanese media?GNVThe past of thesurveyIn the following section, we revealed that the Japanese media's coverage of refugees was heavily skewed in terms of the people and regions targeted, and that only refugees in Europe were given significant attention. How then are internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been forced to flee their homes but have not crossed the border, and how are they reported in the media? In this issue.2023Year.1We will compare news reports with the number of internally displaced persons that occurred during the year and analyze whether the reports are in line with the actual situation, with a focus on television reports.

TBS headquarters building (Photo:Dick Thomas Johnson / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

What are internally displaced persons?

Every year, conflicts and natural disasters around the world result in a large number of refugees and displaced persons. Before looking at the current situation, let us first look at the definition of refugees and displaced persons. 

The United Nations has established the legal status of refugees.Convention Relating to the Status of RefugeesThe definition of "refugee" in the Protocol states that "'refugees' are persons who, because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, are in danger of persecution in their own country and therefore have fled to another country and are in need of international protection. On the other hand, the term "refugee" as used in the Protocol does not encompass the actual displaced persons. For example, displaced persons who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict are not strictly included in the definition of "refugees" in the Refugee Protocol.no matchThe definition of "internally displaced persons" is not intended to include those who have not crossed the border. In addition, although there are a very large number of "internally displaced persons" who do not cross the border but seek asylum because they have been forced to leave their homes within the country, the above definition does not include the followingnot includedSpecific case (*)1In some cases, international protection is not available except for

However, the number of these "internally displaced persons" has been on the rise in recent years.A monitoring center for internally displaced persons established by the Norwegian Refugee Council and located in Switzerland(in Japanese history)IDMCof thesurveyAccording to,2023Just for the year,Approximately 20.5 million internally displaced persons have been observed(*)2(United Nations). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCRAccording to a survey by the2023As of 2005, internally displaced persons (IDPs) accounted for57%indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.account forIt is said.

Internally Displaced Persons in the World in 2023

in which case2023For more information on the year, please see the detailed report of the internally displaced persons.realityI would like to take a look at the following questions. First, how do internally displaced persons occur? There are two main reasons, one of which is natural disasters. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, droughts, floods, and other natural disasters displace2023In the year 2000, the total number of internally displaced persons was about56%The other is displaced persons due to armed conflict, which accounts for The other group, displaced by armed conflict, accounted for44%accounted for the majority of the total number of refugees. Unlike disasters, in the case of displacement related to armed conflict, the conflict lasts for a long period of time and1In many cases, those who have been displaced cannot return to their places of residence, or are forced to flee to other locations due to the spread of conflict.This type of displaced persons will rapidly increase after 2022.increasing trendin theIn this issue, we will take a closer look at internally displaced persons resulting from armed conflict.

in which case2023Year.1In which countries and regions are internally displaced persons due to conflict during the year?IDMC(at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusiondataAccording to the "Mere Old Man", in descending order, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Palestine, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Colombia, and Nigeria were the countries with the highest number of internally displaced persons observed.10The number of countries in this category is 1,860. In addition, this10Looking outside of the countries, the majority of conflict-related IDPs occur on the African continent, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for the largest share of IDPs worldwide.1,34610,000,000 ((65%)and in the Middle East and North Africa region.40510,000,000 (19%), in the East Asia region.14610,000,000 (7%) of displaced persons. A particularly large number of internally displaced persons here are in the upper5Brief introduction to the background of the conflict for each country

Sudan 

In Sudan.2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4In May, the Sudanese National Army (SAFand a military organization, the Rapid Support Force (RSFThe violent armed clashes between the "(a)" and theoccurrenceThe Sudanese military coup in the early 1990s forced many people to flee the country and abroad. Sudan went through a military coup in2019To a system of joint military-civilian governance in 1949.transitionAlthough,2021A military coup d'état occurred again in 2006. After thatSAFandRSFwas a cooperative system, though,SAFis now official.RSFto be incorporated into the organization of the national army, butRSFresisted,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4In May, in a major military clash in the capital Khartoum.developmentThe military clashes, combined with drought and flooding caused by abnormal weather, resulted in a large number of displaced people in Sudan. This military conflict, combined with drought and flooding caused by extreme weather conditions, resulted in a large number of displaced persons in Sudan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCRAccording to the2024counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4Cumulative total through March7 million peopleMore than 1,000 people have been forced to flee their homes both domestically and internationally. In additionIDMCAccording to data from the2023Year.1Just for the year.6,030,000The situation is a serious humanitarian crisis, with as many as 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) confirmed to have been internally displaced.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is1994In 1949, the genocide in neighboring Rwanda triggered a deterioration in relations with that country, and neighboring countries, including Rwanda, began to1996years and ...1998in the year2Military incursions were made on two occasions. This led to1998Since the year2008Just until the year 2000.5.4 millionThe damage was so devastating that it is said that as many as 1.5 million people were killed.2003Although a peace agreement was reached in 2006, conflict has continued in the country since then, especially in the eastern region.2022This conflict intensified in 2006,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)10In May, fierce fighting between the Congolese army and armed forces began again, and in the past2humanitarian crisis in the past year.enlargementThe number of displaced people has been increasing. This has resulted in a large number of displaced persons,2023Year.6Cumulative total through March600allMore than 1,000 people are still forced to flee their homes in and out of the country. In additionIDMCIn the data of,2023Year.1Just for the year.3,770,000More than 1,000 internally displaced persons have been confirmed to have been displaced.

Military training in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Photo:MONUSCO Photos / Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0])

Palestine

For many years Israel has occupied or controlled the borders of Palestine, and the conflict has continued.2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)10Hamas, which controls the Palestinian Gaza Strip, launched an attack against Israel in March, and in retaliation, Israel has been conducting large-scale progress in the Gaza Strip for several months.situationIt is. The fighting continues to this day,2024counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)6As of May.36,439With the dead of the people,82,627The People'scasualtyis believed to have been produced.IDMCIn the data of2023In Palestine during the year alone.3.43 million or moreThe number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is estimated to be as high as 1,000.

Myanmar

Myanmar has been ruled by a military junta for many years, and a number of anti-government armed groups have emerged in response to the oppression of local ethnic minorities.existenceThe company is doing so.2011Although democratization has progressed since 1949,2021The coup d'état in 1949 restored the military government again, and to escape it, manyevacueesThe outbreak of the Conflicts between the national army and rebel groups also intensified as a result,2023In 2006, the cumulative number of displaced persons in Japan and abroad was200allThe number of internally displaced persons is said to have exceeded Among them, when limited to internally displaced persons,IDMCAccording to data from the2023Year.1Just for the year.1.29 millionMore than 1,000 internally displaced persons have been confirmed to have been displaced.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia has experienced a lot of unrest, mainly during the Cold War, including conflicts between the dictatorial regime and rebel forces, and conflicts with Eritrea, which gained independence from the country.experienceThe company has been Among them.2020The Tigrean conflict of 1949 resulted in large-scale armed clashes between the Ethiopian government and the armed forces governing the Tigrean region,2.6 millionThe country is said to have experienced a large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) of more than Since then, the Amhara and Oromia regions of the country have also been affected.disputeThe Tigrean conflict, coupled with the Tigrean War, forced many people to flee their homes in various regions.IDMCAccording to data from the2023Over the years.79More than 10,000The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is estimated to be as high as 1,000.

UNICEF's support activities in Ethiopia (Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

As described above, conflict and violence have resulted in a large number of internally displaced persons, and the scale of the outbreak of refugees and internally displaced persons is one measure of the scale of the conflict and the damage it has caused.

2023 International coverage on TBS News

So far we have looked at internally displaced persons in various parts of the world and the conflicts behind them.2023Year.1Are the Japanese media reporting the reality of the hundreds of thousands to millions of internally displaced persons that are being generated annually alone? We conducted this survey,TBSa news distribution site operated byTBS NEWS DIGThis is the first time that the "Nationwide This is a nationalJNNIt is a news site that focuses on the redistribution of news broadcast by affiliated TV stations, and provides access to a wide range of news from politics and economics to entertainment and sports, from all over Japan and the world, in both video and print media. Survey period,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)1month1Day ~12month31Until the day of the1This was done over the course of the year. The articles covered were included in the website's search function with the top occurrences of internally displaced persons in the same year10Articles displayed by entering the name of a country in the list of countries that are related to conflicts and displaced persons (*)3). For the method of tabulation, the number of newscasts was counted and other indicators such as airtime were not considered.

Loading...

These are the results. Top10Ukraine, from those with the most articles about the country.1,455case, Palestine.558case, Sudan.99case, Myanmar53The case, Burkina Faso Colombia, was1cases, while the rest of the countries are0The result was that there were only two cases. Below we will look at the content of each of the conflicts in the countries that were reported and those that were not reported as much.

First, by far the largest volume of coverage was of the Ukraine-Palestine2The conflict is about a conflict between two countries. In the pastGNVThe Japanese media is also in the survey of theRussia and UkraineandIsrael/PalestineWe have discussed the concentrated coverage of conflicts in the United States, and this trend was also evident in the coverage of commercial television.

In particular, there were a number of articles that addressed these conflicts in relation to the United States and European countries. In fact, regarding Palestine558Among the coverage of the case,56The United States is the relevant country in the case,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)12month19Japan "In a refugee camp in northern Gaza.100More than 1,000 dead U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin visits Israel, discusses scaling back military operations.And,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)11month25Japan "President Biden, "Expect More Hostages to be Released," Hamas.24Freeing the human hostagesMany of the articles focused on the U.S. government's response, such as "The U.S. Government's response to the Also regarding coverage of Ukraine,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)12month21Japan "meter (i.e. a gauge)NATOAmbassador's solo interview "2Ukraine is obligated and capable of assisting other countries" Ukraine intends to continue its support for Israel.Many of the articles, such as "The United States and Europe's Military Support," addressed in depth the U.S. and European military support.

also this2With regard to the countries, some articles focused on their relevance to the Japanese and the displaced persons within Japan. For example, regarding the Palestinian conflict,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)11month16Japan "Israeli forces raided a hospital in Gaza "There was a command post" and worked at the hospital until just before the conflict.NSTA Commentary]Interviews with local Japanese people, such as the one in ",2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)11month23Japan "'Thank you for your concern' in Gaza."Closer to Japan"The reason why many people feel the same way and the heartbreaking situation of the children, "A 3 year old child was bombed".Several articles were also identified that interviewed displaced persons living in Japan, such as the one in "Japan. Such articles related to Japan are articles on Palestine558Of the cases,46We were able to confirm the case.

Sudan was the next most reported country.2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)5month3Japan "Sudanese military and paramilitary groups, ceasefire period7Agreed to extend for two days.4from the day of11Until the end of the day, the Government of South Sudan announcedWhile some articles on the situation in the conflict, such as the one on "Sudan99More than half of the cases51One of the articles was related to Japan. The51Of the articles in the29The case is an article on the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Sudan,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4month25Japan "Japanese and others evacuated from Sudan45People arrived in Djibouti, no major health problems.The transportation of Japanese nationals from conflict zones, such as the "Japan,2023counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)4month24Japan "Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno to dispatch Self-Defense Forces troops to Sudan to evacuate Sudanese nationals.The majority of the reports focused on the Japanese government's response, such as "The Japanese government's response to the Such reports were concentrated immediately after the outbreak of the conflict, and accounted for only a small percentage of the total9amount to more than ten percent94The article is the first in a series of1It lasted for a month. Even though the conflict continued after that, after the evacuation of the Japanese1In the year5Only one case was reported.

Also on Myanmar53The article was featured in two articles, of which9The two cases were related to Japan. For example, on March 2, 2023, "From the Myanmar Military Coup2The devastation continues to this day, with villages and homes burned to the ground....　Thinking of Home from ToyamaWhile some articles, such as the one in the "Japan" section, focused on refugees living in Japan, most were about the realities of the conflict and the damage it has caused.

TBS NEWS DIG website

Next, we will look at regions that have received less coverage. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been in conflict for many years,2023In the year 2000, the world2Despite having the second largest number of internally displaced persons, there was no news coverage of the conflict throughout the year. Nor was there any news about Ethiopia,2023Despite the fact that there have been as many internally displaced persons as in the Ukrainian conflict over the past two years, the result is that, in contrast to Ukraine, there has been no coverage at all.

In addition, Burkina Faso on the conflict with neighboring Niger.articleand1case, and for Colombia, regarding the conflict in that country.articleand1The number of reports on other countries is limited to only one case per year.1There were no cases.

These are reports on the conflict in general, but to what extent are internally displaced persons (IDPs) reported? The articles selected for this survey that mentioned displaced persons or internally displaced persons were88About the case, Palestine13About the case, Myanmar13The number of reports on internally displaced persons (IDPs) was only 2.7% of the total. The number of reports on internally-displaced persons is not as high as the number of reports on the war situation and the state of assistance from other countries.

Why the difference in the amount of coverage?

As mentioned above, despite the fact that conflicts are causing displacement in many parts of the world, the amount of coverage shows an extreme degree of bias. Why do these differences arise? In the pastGNVThe following discussion is based on the survey of the

First, why is the amount of media coverage so heated about the countries, especially the Ukrainian-Palestinian conflict?1The second factor is the relevance to Japan. Basically, the media focuses on countries, regions, and events that have a close relationship with their own country and covers them.trendThere is a The conflict in Russia and Ukraine was one reason for the overheated Japanese media coverage of the conflict, as it threatened to escalate into nuclear war and the war's impact on the global economy was significant.

2The second reason is that this is a conflict that attracts the attention of the United States and European countries that have close relations with Japan. In the pastGNV(at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusionsurveyIn the previous section of this report, we have shown that the Japanese media tends to follow the reporting of the U.S. government and media. In particular, major media outlets, including TV stations, have a limited number of overseas bureaus, which makes it difficult for them to follow the coverage of foreign media.referenceIn many cases, we have no choice but to do so. Therefore, it can be said that the reporting is influenced by the Western media's view of the world.

3The second is the Japanese media's emphasis on high-income countries. In the pastGNV(at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusionsurveyhas revealed that Japanese media coverage tends to focus more on high-income countries and less on low-income countries. This tendency is also strongly evident in the current survey,2023This is evidenced by the overwhelming amount of coverage of Ukraine, even though the front has not changed significantly over the years. The low volume of coverage on the African region is also notable, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo2023in the world in 2006.2The second largest number of internally displaced persons has never been reported, despite the fact that it is the largest number of internally displaced persons in the world.

Also, this attitude of reporting,TBSThis is also evident in the placement of the company's overseas branches.TBS Inc.s overseas branches are located around the world.13The city is located in the city of3Two branches are in the U.S.1Countries,4The first is Europe,4While two are located in Asia, there is only one in the Middle East and Africa, in Cairo, Egypt, near the Gaza Strip. Fewer bureaus mean fewer resources available for coverage, which in turn means less coverage. The large number of bureaus concentrated in the U.S. and Europe reflects the tendency of news organizations to focus on these high-income countries, which may increase the bias in coverage of these regions.

4The second is the relationship with the person who is the subject of the report.GNVThe past of thesurveyhas noted that the Japanese media tends to focus its attention on developments in power. In particular, in this survey, the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in which the U.S. political elite is deeply involved, received significant coverage, indicating the same tendency. The degree of sympathy of readers and viewers for the events and people being reported on is also a factor that determines the amount of coverage1say that it is one thing to ...pointing outThere are also In this regard,The victim's cultural and skin color similarities to the majority of Western citizens, which is why the victim was reported in the West.And that has led to a lot of coverage in the Japanese media.possibilitywould also be undeniable.

summary

 As mentioned above, regarding the subject of conflict and refugees,TBSWe analyzed the actual state of reporting in international television news coverage. A large discrepancy was observed between the actual seriousness of the actual situation of the conflict and displaced people and the volume and content of the coverage, which has beenGNVThe result is a clear indication of the bias in international reporting that has been pointed out by the The resolution of internally displaced persons and the underlying conflict requires understanding and support from the entire world, but this kind of international reporting does not convey the full picture of the problem and will not deliver the necessary understanding, diplomacy, support, and other measures.

note (supplementary information) symbol1 UNHCRis providing assistance to millions of internally displaced persons, but not all of them are being reached.

note (supplementary information) symbol2 IDMCreports, the number of times a displaced person was observed during the period in question is recorded and counted as data. Therefore, if the same person moved more than once, the number of such moves is recorded, which differs from the pure number of displaced persons.

note (supplementary information) symbol3 Articles meeting the following requirements were counted as applicable articles.(1) TBS NEWSDIGSearch for "country name" in the search function of the website of (2) (i)of the articles include the keywords conflict and displaced persons in their articles or mention them in their articles.

Writer/Graphic Design: Takumi Kuriyama

Follow @GNV_tweets