Photo/Illutration Officials of The Mainichi Shimbun lay flowers at a news vehicle that had melted and was later dug up from the pyroclastic flow debris. They are commemorating Mainichi photographer Tsutomu Ishizu, who was killed at the “teiten” fixed point to view Mount Unzen’s Fugendake peak on June 3, 1991. (Kengo Hiyoshi) 

When did we start frequently hearing TV reporters saying, “I’m reporting from a safe place” when they are reporting live on flooding, mudslides or other natural disasters?

I heard such words again during live TV coverage of the latest torrential downpours that ravaged various parts of the nation.

It is the nature of journalists to try to get as close as possible to where a disaster is unfolding when they are reporting. Journalists cannot know what is truly occurring unless they go to the scene to see it with their own eyes.

By doing so, however, they risk becoming victims, themselves, if they fail to accurately assess the dangers of the situation.

When trying to strike a delicate balance between gathering firsthand information about a natural disaster and preventing journalists from becoming casualties, news media outlets must remember one terrible tragedy.

On June 3, 1991, 43 people were killed when they were swept up by a pyroclastic flow--a dense, fast-moving flow of solidified lava pieces, volcanic ash and hot gases--that was triggered by a massive eruption of Mount Unzen’s Fugendake peak in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Sixteen of the victims were members of news outlets. They remained at a location called “teiten” (fixed point), which commanded a great view of the volcano, even after an evacuation advisory was issued for the area.

Twelve firefighters and four others that included a taxi driver were also killed as they responded to the situation.

At the Mt. Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall in the city of Shimabara, various belongings left by victims were on display, including tripods and cameras that had melted. When I visited the hall (also known as Gamadasu Dome) the other day, I overheard a conversation between two elderly visitors, probably locals.

One said, “The number of victims would have been much smaller if there had been no media people.”

The words were whispered, apparently because they were expressing what they really thought. I felt so ashamed that I did not know what to do with myself.

There are cases where journalists have to overstep the safety lines authorities set to collect vital information when they cover natural disasters or armed conflicts.

But freedom of the press should not be protected at the expense of citizens’ lives. This is one weighty lesson from what occurred in June 1991.

I drove my car from the memorial hall to the teiten. As I reflected on the fact that the reporters followed the same path that day and then saw the same sky covered by huge plumes of ash, the peak quickly loomed large in front of my eyes.

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 4

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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