Chapter 8 Media and Reconstruction Introduction
Hiroshima’s ability to function as a city was destroyed by the atomic bombing. The media also suffered a catastrophic blow. Coverage of the damage from the bomb began amidst unprecedented confusion. However, this coverage was hampered by censorship and pressure from the General Headquarters of Supreme Commander for Allied Powers (GHQ). Survivors had lost their dearest family members and their livelihoods and were suffering the aftereffects of radiation. Still, they had to work to rebuild their lives. They continued to face unbearably difficult years.
This chapter will look at how the Chugoku Shimbun and other Japanese and foreign media covered the disaster wrought by the atomic bombing, and in what form the foundation was laid for the media coverage that has continued to this day. It will also study various materials on the media, children’s essays and governments’ documents to try to bring out the truth, interwoven with both light and shadow, of how people rebuilt their lives and how their lives changed over the years in the process of Hiroshima’s reconstruction.
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