An amendment in June to Japan's 54-year-old Canon of Journalism apparently reflects the sense of crisis within the nation's news organizations over the apparent growing public dissatisfaction with the industry.
In June, the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association, which is composed of major newspaper and broadcasting companies, issued a new code of conduct calling for special attention to be paid to the rights of people mentioned in news stories.
The previous canon's clause concerning "fairness to individual people's reputations" provided those accused of wrongdoing in stories with the opportunity to respond.