A massive amount of water has been used to cool the damaged reactors after a devastating earthquake wreaked havoc on 3 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan in March 2011. In April of 2021, Japan announced it would gradually release the water into the Pacific Ocean after treatment, citing leakage risks and a lack of storage space.

Earlier this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the international nuclear watchdog, released a safety review report, claiming that the Japanese plan consistent with relevant international safety standards. It also noted that the assessment was not an endorsement. How authoritative is this report, which came out two years after Japan announced the decision? How have the media been covering the story so far? When politics is involved, can the voice of reason prevail?