National / Media | MEDIA MIX May 1, 2021
Hate speech can’t be met with indifference and ignorance
by Philip Brasor
When the head of DHC began making anti-Korean comments, many news outlets decided it was just better not to talk about it.
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Mar 28, 2020
Winning the media battle against COVID-19
by Philip Brasor
On March 12, the Sankei Shimbun ran an editorial urging the media to refrain from criticizing the government for its handling of the coronavirus emergency. The Sankei Shimbun was elaborating on a complaint made by former TV announcer Yoshiko Sakurai that the press was ...
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Nov 18, 2017
Ad money makes the news world go round
by Philip Brasor
In a Nov. 8 press release, the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center announced that Katsuya Takasu, the most famous plastic surgeon in Japan, was no longer a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS). Previously, the center had been urging the AACS ...
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Nov 11, 2017
Fuji TV's wishful thinking is food for thought
by Philip Brasor
Since 1987, Fuji TV has owned Monday night, specifically the 9 to 10 p.m. time slot, when it broadcasts fluffy romantic drama series starring the season's hottest actress and often a prominent member of a boy band. This phenomenon has its own name — getsu-ku ...
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jun 24, 2017
Sticky bonds of the media and government
by Philip Brasor
Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Council released a report critical of the Japanese government. The author, David Kaye, expressed concern over the way the media is pressured by the authorities to support their policies. The government objected to the report, saying it ...