The mass media are essential and influential aspects of the modern social life of Japanese citizens. There has been a steady increase in the number of publications, Newspapers, television channels, radio stations, and internet-based sources of news in the last decade. This increment could mean more accurate and reliable information, but they are all under censorship. Though most media companies are privately owned, government and top politicians play a crucial role in developing news in Japan. Information is a vital product in everyday life, implying that the independence of media and the state involvement in publication and broadcasting materials directly impact a country’s social vision. This paper agrees with the truth presented by Alex Kerr in his article that media in Japan act like cartels and investigative reporting is actively punished.
High hopes were set when the internet was established as a mainstream channel for interaction. This is because it provided a new public sphere where people could freely interact and share news without relying on third-party agents. Like any other country, Japan spent considerable funds ensuring a smooth social avenue for developing communication online across the country (Yoshioka & Maeda, 2020). The anticipated freedom was never felt as state organizations have primarily shaped the Japanese media avenues and substantial political influence with no individual broadcasting impact on the news. The presence of middle media that decides what news is to be published has undermined the power and quality that mass media present to the people. This translates to false news and information being released to the world, protecting the interest of a few cartels.
Japanese news is far from being accurate because of the pressure faced by reporters and presenters. In 2015 Shigeaki Koga was axed as a news pundit after reporting that the government was applying pressure to media to tone down any critic against the government (Petrovic, 2020). Hodo Station sacked Koga without any reason where the producers claimed that he had interfered with government reporting. This worrying trend was witnessed when state and LDP officials openly participated in editorial decisions (Petrovic, 2020). The media are soft and avoid being confronted by the state questioning the firmness and the self-reliance of editorial and broadcasters’ rights. In addition, the termination of Koga by TV Asahi expressed the willingness of significant country’s mainstream media to bore down to the level of behind-the-scenes reporting by the administration.
According to the magazine Sekai, one of the highly regarded liberal opinions in the country states that there is growing conformity that one cannot resist (Petrovic, 2020). This is written by Hiroko Kuniya, a TV anchor who documented force being used to accommodate the majority in their reporting from even the media owners (Petrovic, 2020). The country’s free press has been silenced for a long, and news is based on what the government believes is good for its reputation. This was reflected during the deadly earthquake in the southern city of Kumamoto and concerns about the nuclear plant. The government restricted journalists from covering the event, stating that all reporting must be based on official state announcements and not any independent newscasting. This led to unprofessional reporting filled with inaccurate information and data that the press could not establish credibility.
Freedom of expression is evident as Japan is a liberal and capitalist nation. For decades now, there has been a minor change in the lineup of how newspapers and TV stations execute their duties. They produce programs and news within the same old narrow framework to keep their friendly corporate images. The news program is prominent segments promoting the fawning lifestyles and business of the rich and famous individuals. Journalist too often writes down what the government and other respected corporations have provided, and there is little by the press members as they are afraid of angering the powerful rich. This supports Kerr’s findings in the 21st century as it explains why the front page of newspapers is all the same.
Journalism has always been the guardian to the public interest and abuse of power as practiced in other contemporary democracies. In addition, the press should facilitate factual news that supports pluralist debate and the free flow of accurate information. This is a conflicting view in Japan as the media is primarily used as an instrument of state power. Publishing is ruled by monopolies, commercial and political influence that restrict the amount of accurate information written in the country. The dominance of the press club system in newsgathering profounds the reporter’s freedom and independence, undermining the quality of news and information released. The media credibility is not observed in the country, and most of the word and information reported lack transparency, as depicted in the March 11 disaster (Yoshioka & Maeda, 2020). There is vital information, and communication gaps pointed out in how journalists conducted themselves during the catastrophic event. There was a lack of trust between the news reported and the actual information, strongly supporting that news in Japan is inaccurate.
For the people of Japan to get accurate news every day, the canon of journalism must be adopted and fully adhered to by every party involved in news making. The state must respect the freedom and independence of press firms as it pertains to investigative reporting. The citizens should form a watchdog media to keep both the state’s influence and media freedom in check. The people of the democratic republic of Japan need to set up independent movements to fight for media independence to be respected by the people in power. More press stations that are free from manipulation need to be established and not afraid of state threats. This will reduce the influence of politicians and state officers on reporting giving opportunity for news anchors to present accurate and authentic data.
In conclusion, due to the media avoidance of controversies, Japan does not exhibit the polarization of political ideas widely as in other developed nations. With the highest circulation of newspapers worldwide, media distrust arises from mainstream media’s ideological bent and bias. The reporting style is restrained and aimed at impartiality, and they heavily rely on court controversy. Critical topics and issues require media presence in Japan, such as the buraku issue, the use of nuclear power, continued use of the death penalty, and the current discrimination against ethnic Koreans that the press organs shy away from and only enter fray debate. This leads to inaccurate reporting on these topics as the media show little initiative in reporting key affairs affecting the democratic society. This supports the passage “Dogs and Demons” by Alex Kerr on the Japanese press that the news is manipulated and there is little or no truth in them. In addition, any investigative reporting in the country is never rewarded as press clubs collude with powerful institutions that decide what to report.
References
Petrovic, S. (2020). Tracing Individual Perceptions of Media Credibility in Post-3.11 Japan. The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, 18(10).
Yoshioka, T., & Maeda, Y. (2020). COVID-19 Stigma Induced by Local Government and Media Reporting in Japan: It’s Time to Reconsider Risk Communication Lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster. Journal of Epidemiology, 30(8), 372–373. Web.