``Why Is Old Fashioned Journalism Still Important?

A Foreign Reporter’s View

By ERIC JOHNSTON, Deputy Editor, The Japan TimesRitsumeikan University, Oct. 28, 2016

Part IGeneral Challenges To All

Media

The 24 Hour News Cycle

Today’s reporters often have to prepare stories for print and broadcast media, and be ready to provide updates.

Reporters must have a degree of ability to access news quickly from the Internet and television, as well as their own sources.

Traditional standards about the need for confirming facts have become much looser, as pressure on reporters to get the story out quickly, or to add facts only after they’ve filed the initial report, grows increasingly stronger.

More ``Free’’ News Sites = Fewer Paid SubscribersMuch news and information today can be accessed by anyone who logs on Google News or other news sites that do not charge users any sort of fee.

For the price of logging on to the Internet, many people can satisfy their daily news needs and design their own online newspaper by bookmarking preferred sites that offer free news.

Generation of Internet users has come to believe that accessing information online is free, or should be almost free.

Result? People are less willing than in the past to pay for newspaper content they feel they do not want or need, especially if it’s available for free.

Breakdown of Traditional Advertising ModelTraditionally, print and broadcast media made money off of paid advertising. Rates were extremely high for ads in both and advertisers were not always sure who was reading or viewing their ads.

Today, with digital technology, advertisers pay much less than in the pre-Internet era for advertising and can target specific websites that attract the kind of customers they want to reach.

Newspapers relied on classified advertising for a good portion of their income (For Sale notices, Job Listings, etc.) Today, a variety of SMS sites have taken over traditional classified advertising for virtually nothing.

What This Means. . .

In the U.S., newsroom employment went from 56,900 in 1990 to 32,900 last year. As for profit, a few very big national media did well, as did some very small media. Everybody else is hurting.

In U.K., government figures suggest a decline of about 6,000 journalists between 2013 and 2015.

Specific Challenges in

Japan

Let me in! I’m a Journalist!

Let me in!

What’s a ``Kisha” Club? • A group of reporters, photographers, and cameramen from newspaper and

television stations that are members of the Japan Newspaper Association or the Japan Broadcasters Association, i.e. the ``mainstream’’ Japanese media.• Clubs are located in all major central and local government agencies, the Prime

Ministers’ office, both houses of Parliament, all district and high courts, and the Supreme Court, and select major business groups nationwide. Clubs hold briefings and press conferences with senior officials.• Clubs often restrict non-member media organizations from attending press

conferences, or tell them they can only observe, not ask questions. Even foreign journalists with Foreign Press Cards have trouble getting into press conferences at government ministries and, especially, the courts. • In recent years, some foreign media, especially the foreign wire services, have

gained access to many press clubs that were previously closed.

What Does a Kisha Club Look Like?

Kisha Clubs: The Arguments For and

AgainstKisha Club System Critics

• The Kisha Club System is a form of information cartel that allows Big Media and its allies in Government to restrict the public’s right to know.

• The system creates cozy relationships between reporters and their sources, turning the media into government propaganda tools.

• The system ignores the technology changes of the past two decades allowing for rapid dissemination of information, and is actually dangerous to the well-being of the nation.

Kisha Club System Defenders• The Kisha Club is a voluntary system that acts

as a quality control mechanism for objective reporting.

• Japanese law and the power of bureaucratic discretion means that there would be more democratic abuses by those in government without the kisha club system to act as a monitor, however imperfect, of those in power.

• Other countries have similar systems, so what’s wrong with Japan’s kisha club system?

Japanese Attitudes About Media and Freedom of Speech

A strong media relies on a strong political, social, and legal environment that supports a free and open press.A 2015 study by the Washington D.C.-based Pew Research Institute of worldwide public attitudes towards freedom of expression revealed some interesting results.

People can say what they want w/o censorship

The media can report news w/o censorship

People can use the Internet w/o

censorship

UNITED STATES 71% agree 67% agree 69% agree

UNITED KINGDOM 57% agree 58% agree 53% agree

AUSTRALIA 52% agree 57% agree 53% agree

FRANCE 67% agree 46% agree 50% agree

GERMANY 86% agree 73% agree 69% agree

PHILIPPINES 50% agree 53% agree 40% agree

MALAYSIA 43% agree 44% agree 32% agree

SOUTH KOREA 56% agree 52% agree 50% agree

INDIA 44% agree 41% agree 38% agree

JAPAN 57% agree 45% agree 40% agree

It’s important in my country that. . .

Unique Challenges of Foreign Media

The Language BarrierRelatively few Japanese speak English well, even in Tokyo.Usually, only long-term resident foreign correspondents have bilingual ability to work entirely in Japanese and their native language. Even fewer have near native ability to read Japanese. Reluctance of officials to speak in English. Many prefer Japanese and will refuse to speak on the record in English. Amount of English-language information and number of Japanese fluent in English decreases rapidly when outside Tokyo.

COSTS OF REPORTINGVirtually all foreign correspondents are based in Tokyo, one of the world’s most expensive cities (cost for 1 full-time correspondent in Tokyo = cost for 3 correspondents in other parts of the world).

Cost of traveling from Tokyo to elsewhere in Japan for a story can be extremely expensive compared to many other countries.

ASSIGNMENT: Trip to Okinawa for Governor’s Election (Sat.-Mon.)EXPENSE COST

Round-trip flight from Osaka to Naha plus two nights in Naha hotel

30,000 yen tour package ordered online months in advance.

Taxi Fare to northern Okinawa for key interviews

20,000 yen round trip

Taxi Fare within Naha for various interviews

3,000 yen

Food and drinks for self and interview sources

5,000 yen

TOTAL 58,000 yen

OVERSEAS INTEREST IN JAPAN STORIESGenerating overseas editorial interest in Japan-related stories is easier than it was a decade ago, thanks to the worldwide popularity of what is referred to as MASK (Manga, Anime, Sushi, Karaoke) culture. But overseas appetite for political stories is limited.

Certain business sectors (autos, consumer electronics) and finance still attract interest of editors at business publications. But interest is still less than interest in neighboring China-related stories.

Compared to interest in stories from Europe, Middle East, Africa, India, and even China, international media interest in Japan-only stories is still small.

Hmm. Maybe I should pitch a Japan-related story to the editors

today. . .

Timely Ability To Interview Official SourcesJapan’s culture of official communications means that foreign correspondents often cannot get ahold of government officials willing to speak on the record.Time-zone differences with home office can mean stories needing official comments are sometimes not assigned until late evening Japan time– by which time it’s difficult to get ahold of anybody very quickly.

Japan’s Political ClimateIn April, David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, visits Japan, warns that ``weak legal protection, the newly adopted Specially Designated Secrets Act, and persistent Government pressure for ‘neutrality’ and ‘fairness’ appear to be producing high levels of self-censorship,” in Japan.

In the 2016 Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom index, which measures press freedom in 180 countries, Japan falls to 72nd place, from 61st place last year, behind Haiti, El Salvador, Botswana, and South Korea. Top three countries are Finland, The Netherlands, and Norway.

Part IIWhy We Need Old-Fashioned

Journalism for Democracy

Clarification and Confirmation of Facts Foundation of Democratic DebateTraditional Journalism: Importance on clarifying and confirmation information. ``Be Quick, but Be Accurate.’’

Internet Age: Information shared by those without time or ability to fact-check is spread easily. Easier to spread mistakes, propaganda, false facts, and outright lies if no editorial process to slow things down.

Internet News: Junk Food For the Democratic Mind: Instant Gratification, Feels Good, Can Have Whatever You want. Don’t Know How It Was Cooked. Old-Fashioned Journalism: Vegetables For The Mind: Not Always As Tasty As Internet News, But A Better Vitamin Balance For Becoming A Democratic Citizen (Stories To Help You Engage In The Democratic Process

A Community of Skeptics is a Democratic Community

Old Fashioned Journalism Speaks Truth To Power

“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.” - George Orwell

Part IIITo Become A Great Journalist

(and Citizen) You Need. . .

A Broad Curiosity About The Real WorldThe Best Journalists are those who have a fairly broad range of intellectual interests.Specialization is fine, but constantly seek to learn new things.It’s critical to be able to distinguish what’s really going on in the world from what you think should be going on in the world. Otherwise, you are talking about theory, not fact.

A Historical ImaginationA deep understanding of history, especially modern history, is crucial to becoming a journalist. One must know what happened in the past to make sense of the present and more accurately predict the future.A ``historical imagination’’ is the ability to draw similarities between what people are saying and doing today and what was said and done before. Without it, a journalist quickly becomes a propaganda agent.

Street Smarts and Common Sense All Good Journalists have what society defines as ``common sense’’ and ``street smarts.’’``Common sense’’ is based on intuition, logic, and a desire to find a simple solution to problems, and forms the basis of judgements. Good common sense often equals good judgement. ``Street smarts’’ is the ability to see slightly ahead of the curve where problems and possible failure lurks, and the ability to know when you’re being lied to, or when somebody is hiding the truth.

Hope and a Sense of CompassionJournalists often see terrible things, or deal constantly with greed, stupidity, corruption, falsehoods, and the unfairness of life. It is quite easy to become cynical and uncaring, to lose your sense of anger at the world’s injustices, and to want to just give up.All good journalists retain some sense of personal hope and compassion for others, despite how hopeless and hard the world sometimes seems. Having these two qualities is what separates a great journalist from a bad journalist.

A Sense of HumorA good sense of humor will help you keep your perspective on life. Nobody likes a journalist who is always grim, always serious, always trying to lecture the world.An ability to see the absurdity of life is a form of wisdom that sends a signal you are not only intelligent, academically, and experienced professionally, but also a wise human being.

Good Reading and Viewing HabitsRead real books about real subjects. Read well-written stories that are logical and make you think.Be very careful with social media. Much of the content is toxic and will destroy your ability to think and concentrate for long periods of time.Read classic texts on politics, philosophy, religion, economics. Read classic fiction, drama, and poetry from a wide variety of cultures, not just your own.Good reading and viewing leads to good thinking and writing.

An Ability To Deal With Many Types of People

You need the ability as a journalist to be diplomatic, to get people talking, and to not take personal offense, or SOUND like you are taking personal offense if you disagree with what is being said.The more types of people you deal with, the better you’ll be able to understand how to get information from them.Journalists are, in a sense, diplomats.

The Ability To Tell A StoryIt is not enough to be able to ask good question, get quotes, interview people, understand the history and background of what you’re writing about. You must also be able to write what you know in a way that is interesting, truthful, and easy to follow.Good journalists arrange their facts into a logical beginning, middle, and end, using language that their readers can not only understand but also identify with.

The Ability To ListenIt’s easy to learn how to be a good talker. Good Journalists know how to be good listeners, and to hear what is not being said as well as what is being said.

The Ability To Understand Which Details Are Important

Some journalists believe that if they collect enough ``facts’’ the truth will always emerge. But which facts are important to the ``truth’’? Unless you can judge facts, and details, you’ll end up as confused as your readers and viewers and will be ignored.

The Ability To See the Big Picture

Details and facts form the basis of reporting and of journalism. Reporting often involves answering questions that start with ``Who’’, ``What’’, Where’’, ``When’’ or ``How.’’ Being able to address the Big Picture involves the ``Why’’ question, the one is the most complicated. Addressing the ``Why’’ question effectively is the difference between journalism and mere reporting.

IN CONCLUSION• Old-fashioned journalism means getting the facts right, and being able to tell a story that attempts to not only report Who, What, Where, When and How, but also Why.• The advent of the Internet and SMS means we are all ``Citizen Journalists’’. But for a democratic society to function, accurate information, and an honest attempt to get at the truth are essential. Only old-fashioned journalism supported by the public can ensure democracy will thrive.• Japan offers special challenges to any journalist, foreign or Japanese, who believes in the ideals of old-fashioned journalism. But despite the problems, international surveys show that while Japan is not as high in freedom of press rankings as it should be, it is better off than many other places.

THANK YOU!!