Japan Press Weekly

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2019 September 25 - October 1 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Japanese and South Korean media workers determined not to encourage ultra-nationalist movements in their reporting

Japanese and South Korean labor unions that organize media workers on September 28 simultaneously released a statement declaring that they will learn lessons from the history of suppressing peace and human rights and not support media reports working to foment pro-nationalist movements.

The unions in their statement said that they will fulfill the primary duty of journalism to uncover the facts through reporting activities and seek a society which pays regard to peace and human rights.

The statement opposes exclusionist remarks and parochial nationalist movements that will undermine peace and human rights as well as friendly relations between Japan and South Korea. It states that media workers are now asked whether they can play their role of covering news fairly and freely.

On the day, the Japanese union, the Mass Media Information and Culture (MIC Union), and its South Korean counterpart, the National Union of Media Workers, held events in their countries, respectively. The two unions sent each other video messages in solidarity.

MIC chair Minami Akira, who also heads the Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers' Unions (Shimbun Roren), in his video message pointed out that the Japanese press before and during the war took a stance of promoting nationalism while experiencing suppression of the freedom of the press. He stressed the need to not again repeat this mistake and said, “We press workers have to protect freedom of the press.”

Past related article:
> Rally held to promote grassroots-based solidarity between Japan and South Korea [September 8, 2019]