Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party plans to scrutinize recent scandals involving NHK and TV Asahi, in a move that is likely to draw criticism as an attempt to censure the media.

The LDP will soon summon officials of the two major media outlets embroiled in the scandals to demand explanations, senior officials of the ruling party said. Pundits say it's rare for the ruling party to make such demands to media organizations directly.

Takaaki Hattori, a sociologist and an expert on press freedom at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, warned that the LDP move highlights its disregard for press freedom and constitutes a threat to the principle.