From terrorism to crime

Framing the assassination of Abe Shinzo in Japanese media

Bibliographic Data

ID12904662
AuthorsNaoki Kuroishi (0009-0000-5955-9851, Ohio University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Publication date2025-06-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedia War & Conflict (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1750-6352 • E-ISSN: 1750-6360
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/17506352251344125
OpenAlexW4411669698
LanguageEN
References cited32

Drawing on framing theory and prior studies on terrorism coverage, this study examines how major Japanese national newspapers framed the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in July 2022. Using quantitative content analysis of four national newspapers ( Yomiuri , Sankei, Asahi and Mainichi ), the study identifies an initial ‘terrorism frame’, which was later replaced by a dominant ‘crime frame’. Even during the terrorism frame phase, media reports tended to frame the attack as a threat to democracy or the national election, rather than as an act targeting Abe personally. The Japanese perpetrator was frequently humanized and rarely portrayed as a future threat, contrasting with international journalistic norms that emphasize the communicative function of terrorism, and caution against amplifying perpetrators’ messages. These findings suggest that Japanese media may lack consistent frameworks and editorial guidelines for terrorism coverage, raising questions about vulnerability to narrative manipulation by attackers

Criminology · Framing (construction · Media studies · Political science · Sociology · Terrorism · History · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence