Japan Media Review Update: June 7, 2004

JMR Staff (Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California)

Review
The following reviews are posted at: http://www.japanmediareview.com/japan/digest/digest.php

Bodies of Slain Journalists Identified
From Mainichi Daily News: The families of Shinsuke Hashida and Kotaro Ogawa, the two Japanese journalists killed in Iraq last week, flew to Kuwait to identify their bodies. The uncle and nephew were killed when their car was ambushed on the way back to Baghdad from Samawah, where Japan Self-Defense Forces are stationed. Hashida, 61, died when the vehicle was set ablaze. Ogawa, 33, was shot to death after escaping from the burning car.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori

NHK Shows Off Its Future Digital TV Technologies
From Singapore's IDG: Now that digital terrestrial television is underway in Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, broadcaster NHK recently opened to the public its research and development center, where engineers are working on technologies that take advantage of digital broadcasting. At the event, cell phones equipped for terrestrial digital television were demonstrated for the first time in Japan, according to IDG. (Analog TV phones are now on the market in Japan.) NHK's concept of "anytime, anywhere" access to programming also includes home servers coupled with digital TV, allowing users to view on-demand content via broadband. Another display at the event was a TV system that eliminates the use of remote controls. The technology monitors a viewer's eye movements so that a desired program can be chosen by looking at an on-screen menu and giving a voice command to change the channel.
-- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco

UCLA Prof: Media Spoiled Koizumi's Diplomatic Effort
From The Korea Times: UCLA professor Tom Plate says the Japanese news media have assumed "the role of designated spoiler," describing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi as "soft" following his visit to North Korea. Many critics in the media condemned Koizumi's offer of humanitarian assistance in exchange for the release of the families of Japanese abductees living in North Korea, calling it a "sellout." But Plate says this judgment does not represent the opinion of the nation as a whole: About 60 percent of the Japanese public approved of Koizumi's attempt at diplomacy in North Korea.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori

Journalists Must Ensure Their Own Safety, Politicians Say
From The Japan Times: Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers said that a lack of "self-responsibility" led to the attack of two Japanese freelance journalists in Iraq. Referring to the accident as "regrettable," Jiro Kawasaki, chief deputy chairman of the LDP Diet Affairs Committee, said, "We've repeatedly called on news media and other people to think about their own safety and withdraw (from Iraq) with self-responsibility." Last month's hostage crisis involving freelance journalists prompted a similar response from politicians.
-- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori