Fuji Television is receiving both measured praise and mild criticism for its marathon news conference, with international crisis management consultants saying that the maximalist approach was commendable even though returns diminished as the hours wore on.
“Essentially, they’ve attempted to exhaust media speculation by sitting on stage as cannon fodder,” said Jonathan Buxeda, associate director at Sydney’s Cognito Media. By taking every question asked, the company was able to “condense the news cycle into days, rather than weeks or months.”
Fuji TV held a news conference on Monday to address allegations of sexual misconduct by Masahiro Nakai, a celebrity and former presenter for the broadcaster.
Company executives offered to answer all and any questions from the hundreds of journalists attending. The news conference went on for more than 10 hours and at times descended into near chaos as some reporters chose to grandstand, make speeches, yell and hurl accusations at the executives.
As the evening wore on, sentiment shifted and sympathy grew for Fuji TV and its leadership. Over the next few days, opinion continued to shift as it became increasingly clear that one element of the original accusation, that an executive at the company had arranged the dinner that led to the alleged assault, may not have been true.
The stock of Fuji Media Holdings, the parent company of the broadcaster, has been on the rise and is up by about 29% over the past month, with 15% gains in the past week alone.
Reviews of the news conference question whether it was really necessary to cede so much control to the press, as discipline and confidence in a crisis are sometimes just as important as disclosure.
"Fuji TV’s marathon press conference may have been an attempt to demonstrate transparency, but length doesn’t equal effectiveness. In crisis communication, clarity and precision matter more than time spent at the podium,” said Ronn Torossian, founder and chairman of 5WPR, a New York public relations firm.
"A 10-hour press conference runs the risk of appearing disorganized and reactionary rather than confident and controlled,” he added, noting that a more strategic approach, concise messaging and “ongoing, meaningful action” might have been more effective.
Skepticism remains even after the press conference and even after a key accusation against the broadcaster was brought into doubt. The Japanese press claims that many questions must still be answered and that Fuji TV needs to fix its corporate governance structure.
“Without fundamentally changing its dismissive attitude toward human rights, Fuji TV will not be able to regain the trust it has lost,” Mainichi wrote in an editorial.
Public relations professionals advise that the road back to credibility is long and rocky and that one press conference is normally not enough to restore trust. They say companies should continue to explain what measures are being taken to investigate allegations and repair damage.
Experts agree that countermeasures must be sincere and must be undertaken for reasons beyond simply satisfying the media and silencing immediate outrage.
“Any apologies must show an understanding of how and to whom harm has been done. In other words, don’t apologize if you can’t say why you need to apologize. Increasingly, ‘sorry’ alone isn’t sufficient,” said Scott Roberts of Sydney’s Blue Chip Communication.
Customers and the public don’t just want an apology, they want to see a plan, added Torossian.
"The most effective crisis responses are direct, detail tangible next steps, and leave no room for speculation. A well-communicated plan doesn’t just repair trust; it reinforces a company’s long-term credibility,” he said.
"Consumers can spot performative apologies a mile away, and if the response feels rehearsed or defensive, it will do more harm than good,” Torossian said. "An apology without accountability is meaningless. The public is more willing to forgive companies that take ownership, show empathy and follow through with real, lasting change.”
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