Journalism needs to rethink mission

The world’s mass media, in whatever its form, may soon be tested in a way not seen since Johann Gutenberg transformed the written word with his invention of the movable printing press in Germany in the 15th century. The Internet looms as a giant tsunami capable of not only making information free for all, but also smothering everything in its path. The environment facing newspapers in Japan is also very difficult. Not only are newspapers under threat from Internet-based media, but young people are increasingly abandoning newspapers and the printed word.

It was against this background that I was recently appointed editor in chief of the vernacular Asahi Shimbun. According to newly established provisions at The Asahi Shimbun, the editor in chief “has the responsibility of personifying the spirit of Asahi’s journalism and of heightening the newspaper’s reputation and its coverage.”

Just what is the spirit that guides Asahi’s journalism and makes this newspaper one of a kind?

I believe our strength lies in the doggedness of our reporters in persistently carrying out their mission of checking against abuses of authority. That means our reporters must maintain constant vigilance in ascertaining whether those who have the power to use coercive measures are protecting or infringing on the rights of the people, regardless of who or what party is in charge. It also means checking to see that the state is not extending its reach into the souls of the people, nor into their pocketbooks. The spirit of Asahi’s journalism also calls for vigilantly monitoring and accurately reporting on whether the government’s foreign and defense policy is promoting or tarnishing the peace and stability of Japan and the world.

Before and during World War II, The Asahi Shimbun betrayed its readers with inaccurate reporting of the conflict raging in Asia and the Pacific. The Asahi embarked on a new path after the war based on painful reflection over its past coverage. It is my pledge that we will once again return to the starting point of journalism, namely, overseeing authority and providing accurate reporting. From that perspective, we will also tirelessly strive to improve the quality of our newspaper and its related publications so as to more precisely respond to the needs of the times. I hope to fulfill my responsibility of heightening the reputation of Asahi’s coverage through such efforts.

To achieve that goal, I intend to pursue the following four ideals: The first concerns publishing a newspaper that responds to the compelling needs of the public. We will provide vigorous coverage on the following themes: the environment and public safety, employment and labor, the fiscal situation and pensions, care for the elderly and medical care, human rights, education and culture, as well as foreign and national security policy. We will write sincerely and respectfully about incidents related to matters of life and death and try to put greater meaning into people’s lives.

The second ideal is to publish a newspaper of the highest quality. Fortunately, The Asahi Shimbun has until now been generally regarded as a quality newspaper. I believe much of that appraisal was due to the high quality of our readers. I feel that in recent years, the interests of readers and the general public have not only become more specialized, but their critical eye has also become much more polished. The Asahi Shimbun will have to further improve the quality of its coverage to avoid disappointing our readers.

The third ideal is to publish a newspaper that can relate contemporary matters of Japan and the world with a sense of empathy. In the future, Asia will flourish and the world will become increasingly multipolar. It will, therefore, become more important to include a wider range of such views in our newspaper. In order for Japan to get along better with the rest of the world, we must become more sensitive to the views of a multitude of other peoples as well as accurately transmit the different views found in Japan to the rest of the world.

The final ideal is to publish a newspaper that is always in step with the general public. The Asahi Shimbun has a long history, having been established in 1879, close to 130 years ago. It has built up a solid readership base made up of a daily circulation exceeding 8 million. We are not the representative of a specific sector of society nor certain interests. For that reason, we have felt the need to flash a red light on a range of issues, such as ignoring the views of the minority, abandoning the socially weak and allowing for a disparity in incomes to grow, which could all lead to a division of common values held by the public. We also want to inject a sense of wonder about the culture and traditions of our nation, rediscover various aspects of Japan and describe the joys and sorrows of people in our paper.

How will we respond to the challenges from the Internet? We will aggressively utilize the Internet, but the most important step will be the resuscitation of newspaper journalism.

While one job of newspapers is to transmit to readers “what they want to know,” we must also at times write about “what they may not want to know.” I believe that is what true journalism represents. Newspapers are not a search engine. I hope readers will feel free to browse through the pages of our newspaper.

It has been said that successful business models for the Internet depend on whether a company can convince clients to become their partners. The same principle applies to us. We would like to expand joint efforts with our readers by becoming true partners with them. Through such endeavors, we hope to uncover new voices, deeper thoughts and fresh news that we can transmit to a wider range of people.