SENDAI -- The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association kicked off its 50th annual convention Oct. 15 in Sendai with the adoption of a resolution calling for further improvements in ethics in the industry.The resolution also says the current resale price system for newspaper subscriptions should be maintained. The association awarded its annual prizes to eight media companies for their coverage of nine stories.These awards included one to the Sankei Shimbun for reports on two cases of suspected abduction of Japanese by North Korean agents, and one to Kyodo News for its photograph of the inside of the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima during the hostage crisis.About 570 representatives of newspaper, wire service and broadcasting companies attended the opening ceremony of the convention. The representatives are scheduled to participate Oct. 16 in talks on the "Diagnosis of Modern Newspapers" and "Changing the Reader Market and the Future of Newspapers." The two-day convention coincides with Newspaper Week, which began Oct. 15.
