Title: "Changes in Domestic and Foreign Media in the Market Era"
1. Introduction
As a current keyword is the "era of markets, globalization, and speed," Reuters is rapidly becoming a kind of 24 hour real-time media on the global scale, facing a changing need in the market, especially in the financial market. In this situation, stimulated by such real-time media, newspapers will have to change themselves by specializing in news analyses, commentaries, discovery journalism, etc. But, domestic media, as well as domestic politics, seem to be too "inward-looking" and their reporters need to have more creativity, imagination, and competitiveness.
2. What's happening in the media world
a) 24 hour real-time media are widely accepted, and Japan's domestic news may be transmitted to overseas markets. As a result, policy makers such as BOJ and MOF are adjusting themselves by making use of websites and trying to talk with the market in Japan, while real-time media as well as TV media are becoming more responsive to changing conditions.
b) The press club system must be changed, as policy makers are relying more on open press conferences for information disclosure, and less on inner circle meetings among club members only. In fact, corporations are disclosing their information through e-mail and other electronic means, rather than through their inner-circle clubs. Tokyo securities market reporters can now check all necessary news on the net, and "good old days" are gone.
3. Corporate PR in the market era
Corporations are facing a challenge in the market in terms of stock valuation and credit ratings. They have to deal with "disinformation" promptly and firmly based on their policies and criteria. Corporations need to disclose their information speedily in response to a rapidly changing environment.
Title: "Japan as Reported Overseas"
1. Series "Japan as Reported Overseas"
This series started in 1999, and is still continuing. Unlike other studies on this subject, this series give regular interval observations on how Japan is reported by foreign media.
2. Characteristics of foreign media reports on Japan
There are certain themes repeatedly surfaced in foreign media, and those themes include the revival of nationalism, the history textbook issue, the military comfort women issue, etc., which are often taken up by western (and also Asian) media. There are also such topics as whale catching, press clubs, etc. But they tend to be rather shallow, stereo-type analyses. Who should be interviewed is a question here.
3. Comparisons between Japanese and foreign media
a) Certain words or expressions can be reported out of context or out of proportion by foreign media. One such example is Mr. Kiichi Miyazawa's expression of "catastrophe," which was sensationally reported overseas (March 28, 2001).
b) Imperial family reporting in Japan is quite special and there are distinct difference in their approach to the Imperial family between Japanese and foreign media, as exemplified by their reports on the birth of a girl baby, Aiko (December 28, 2001).
4. English as a barrier
Something (education?) has to be done to improve English skills on the part of the Japanese who are even behind other Asians in this regard.
|
