Abstract

This session explores the extent to which news media can influence public opinion in the context of countering disinformation. It covers a case study of disinformation targeting Japan’s release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in the summer of 2023. Drawing on psychological inoculation theory from psychology and public opinion data collected from Japan in February 2024, the case study examines whether news media’s forewarning and pre-emptive refutation of a disinformation attack can enhance public resistance to actual disinformation. The findings shed light on how news media can play a role in countering disinformation campaigns.

About the Speaker

John W. Cheng is an associate professor of intercultural communication at the College of Liberal Arts at Tsuda University in Japan. He obtained a PhD in international studies at Waseda University, with a specialty in social psychology and media communication. He also holds an MBA in telecommunications from Henley Management College and a BEng from Queensland University of Technology. Prior to joining academia, he worked in the telecommunication industry for more than a decade.

John’s research focuses on the social effects of ICT and media in times of disaster and crisis; it also confronts information challenges in today’s digital society, like the proliferation of health misinformation and conspiracy theories. His work has been published in multiple academic journals, such as Asian Journal of Social Psychology, Health Communication, Telecommunications Policy, and Telematics and Informatics. He is a member of IEEE, IET, ITS, and JSICR, and is currently serving as a board member of the International Telecommunications Society and a fellow at the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association. He is currently working on a co-authored book on the roles of media in crises.