Structural Problems Facing Japan's Mass Media
1. Press Clubs
Most public offices and police forces have an organization called a press club.
These press clubs have their own press rooms within the government offices and police departments, and receive exclusive access to information. It is also an exclusive organization, and those who are not members of the club (e.g., freelance journalists, weekly magazines, foreign media) are not even allowed to do interviews.
The problem with press clubs is that, along with their closed nature, they tend to report only on information provided by “Okami,” and are criticized for not monitoring power, which the media is supposed to do. This is a very important point.
For example, in the case of the Matsumoto sarin gas attack, the media reported the police report, and all media outlets treated Yoshiyuki Kono, who had nothing to do with the crime, as the culprit. In addition, there is a risk of not being able to obtain information if articles that are unfavorable or critical of the “Okami” are published in the first place, and this can easily lead to manipulation of information by the target of the interview.
2. Cross-ownership
Since Japanese newspapers have taken a stake in the broadcasting business, the media are connected through affiliation (e.g., Yomiuri Shimbun - NTV - Yomiuri TV), and this is called cross-ownership. Cross-ownership is prohibited in many countries because it is originally considered desirable for newspapers and TV stations to be independent and monitor each other. This concept is called the “concentration-exclusion principle. For example, it is not common in Japan for TV to report problems of a newspaper company or for a newspaper to report problems of a TV company.
In addition, while newspaper publication is free, television is a government-licensed business.
Therefore, if the government exerts pressure on TV using its licensing authority, it will have a ripple effect on newspapers, making the media structure vulnerable.
etc...
1. Press Clubs
Most public offices and police forces have an organization called a press club.
These press clubs have their own press rooms within the government offices and police departments, and receive exclusive access to information. It is also an exclusive organization, and those who are not members of the club (e.g., freelance journalists, weekly magazines, foreign media) are not even allowed to do interviews.
The problem with press clubs is that, along with their closed nature, they tend to report only on information provided by “Okami,” and are criticized for not monitoring power, which the media is supposed to do. This is a very important point.
For example, in the case of the Matsumoto sarin gas attack, the media reported the police report, and all media outlets treated Yoshiyuki Kono, who had nothing to do with the crime, as the culprit. In addition, there is a risk of not being able to obtain information if articles that are unfavorable or critical of the “Okami” are published in the first place, and this can easily lead to manipulation of information by the target of the interview.
2. Cross-ownership
Since Japanese newspapers have taken a stake in the broadcasting business, the media are connected through affiliation (e.g., Yomiuri Shimbun - NTV - Yomiuri TV), and this is called cross-ownership. Cross-ownership is prohibited in many countries because it is originally considered desirable for newspapers and TV stations to be independent and monitor each other. This concept is called the “concentration-exclusion principle. For example, it is not common in Japan for TV to report problems of a newspaper company or for a newspaper to report problems of a TV company.
In addition, while newspaper publication is free, television is a government-licensed business.
Therefore, if the government exerts pressure on TV using its licensing authority, it will have a ripple effect on newspapers, making the media structure vulnerable.
etc...
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