January 29, 2025

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Human rights violations and an inadequate response to sex violence scandals should not be allowed in society even if these are committed by popular TV personalities and large corporations. Broadcasting companies, including Fuji Television Network Inc., should keep this in mind.

It has been reported that a senior Fuji TV employee was involved in an allegation that a woman was sexually assaulted by a famous TV host, who was a member of Japan's once-hugely popular boy band SMAP. Fuji TV, and that even after learning of the incident, continued to broadcast the TV host’s regular shows. This issue raised a question about media companies’ ethical stance toward human rights and sexual violence.

In this regard, the important thing is that the TV host’s sex scandal reflected Fuji TV’s corporate culture of having the company’s female workers, including newscasters, feel obliged to take part in client dinners.

Fuji TV denied its senior staff’s involvement in the TV host’s alleged sexual misconduct against a woman that occurred at his house. However, why the victim visited the former pop-star-turned-TV-host’s home was that based on her experience of participating in client dinners arranged by the Fuji TV employee in question, she thought that she had to go to the TV host’s place as part of her job.

At a press conference which the broadcaster recently held, when asked about the reason for not looking into the client dinner practice, which is believed to be a contributing factor, after the scandal surfaced, Fuji TV admitted to the lack of human rights awareness, and expressed its determination to make efforts to “reform its corporate culture”.

At the press conference, Fuji Media Holdings President Kanemitsu Osamu referred to the chairperson of Fujisankei Communications Group, Hieda Hisashi. Describing Hieda as a man of great influence, Kanemitsu said that there is little doubt that Hieda built the foundation of the current corporate culture. If the TV network really seeks to reform its culture, it should examine the role Hieda played.

Broadcasters are tasked to serve the public interest as the trustees of the public airwaves and are also news organizations. The role media companies should play is to prevent recurrence of similar incidents. In addition, they need to work to increase public awareness of protecting human rights and not allowing violence against women to persist.