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| Reuters Editorial Office, Reporter Antoni Slodkowski (Tokyo-Residing, Polish reporter) |
I had two surprises from covering features in the prefecture after the Earthquake disaster. The first was the honest and open attitudes of people toward foreign correspondents. Even though they had painful experience, they explained their feelings carefully. I was reminded that what is necessary for the people who say ‘Children’s health is a concern, but the government cannot be trusted’ and ‘the Japanese media does not cover our worries’ is not only the solution for nuclear problems but also ‘reliable entity’ with which they can talk about their problems and consult. The second was the situation has remained unchanged a half a year since the earthquake disaster, and actually is getting worse. After many interviews, I strongly felt that although debris removal and decontamination are the first steps of the reconstruction, psychological support, strengthening community bonds, and employment support are equally important. I think that for the media, not only local but also foreign media, to regain its status as a ‘reliable entity’ it has the crucial role to keep pleading for the necessity of ‘soft support’, which is often forgotten.
