Japan’s press freedom questioned, criticized
Claims of Japanese government pressure and manipulation of journalism persist, as the media's dependency on access journalism and business interests have contributed to self-censorship and poor coverage of crucial public issues. David A McNeill of the University of the Sacred Heart explains in East Asia Forum.
Every year, Japan’s poor press freedom ranking triggers handwringing and defensiveness in equal measure. The country’s 2024 ranking of 70 out of 180 countries in the annual index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) should alarm Japanese citizens, said veteran politician Ichiro Ozawa, who noted that Japan ‘has experienced incredible democratic backsliding’.
The press club system in Japan has survived and remains a key reason for Japan’s perennially low ranking. The press’ handling of the Fukushima nuclear disaster further damaged public confidence in journalism. Much of the mainstream news parroted the official line that Japan’s leaking reactors were safe and journalists avoided the term ‘meltdown’ for two months, insisting that ‘partial’ fuel melt was suspected.
When the LDP retook power in December 2012, it turned its attention to the ‘liberal’ media. Former prime minister Shinzo Abe installed four conservatives to the 12-member board of public service broadcaster NHK. The LDP also demanded political impartiality from television bosses in 2014. In 2016, then-communications minister Sanae Takaichi threatened to close television stations that flouted rules on impartiality amid a major political row about the near simultaneous departure of three liberal TV anchors.
The controversy over Abe’s arm-twisting of the media peaked in 2016 when UN Rapporteur David Kaye warned of ‘serious threats’ to Japan’s media, highlighting self-censorship, declining media independence and a lack of ‘professional solidarity’ among media organizations. After interviewing approximately 100 journalists and editors, Kaye found that ‘a significant number of journalists feel intense pressure from the government … to conform their reporting to official policy preferences’. The official reaction to Kaye’s report was defensive. Koichi Hagiuda, then-deputy chief cabinet secretary, argued that Kaye’s findings were based on hearsay.
Media in Japan can be diverse and lively. But self-censorship is rife and taboos linger over swathes of public life. Journalists are encouraged to collude with official sources and shun independent lines of enquiry, leaving many issues — including the imperial family, war crimes and the death penalty — poorly covered or out of bounds. Social media is used to bash critics, manipulate public opinion and amplify right wing topics. It seems likely that Japan will continue to score badly in media freedom rankings.
David McNeill is Professor of Communications and English at the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo, and co-chair of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Japan’s Freedom of the Press Committee.
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