Japan Press Weekly

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2015 April 22 - 28 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Citizens call for investigation into NHK’s coverage of planned US base in Henoko

A group of 97 citizens on April 20 filed a complaint with the Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization (BPO), claiming that NHK’s news coverage regarding construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa is unduly emphasizing the government view.

The BPO is a third-party organization established by TV and radio stations across the country, including NHK, Japan’s sole public broadcaster. It investigates problematic programs in response to viewers’ complaints and gives its recommendations or opinions to broadcasters producing those programs.

The citizens group in its written complaint said that NHK reports very little about Okinawan people’s protests against the base construction and violent measures against anti-base protesters by the Okinawa Defense Bureau and the Japan Coast Guard. The group severely criticized NHK for deliberately using vague wording in its report on the government refusal to meet Okinawa Governor Ongaga Takeshi. NHK’s news coverage depends too much on information provided by the government, the group added.

The citizens group pointed out that NHK’s coverage contains major flaws and betrays broadcasting ethics.