Japan Press Weekly

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2015 November 11 - 17 [POLITICS]

TV watchdog official: It is broadcasting autonomy that defends democracy

The chair of an investigation committee of Japan’s broadcasting watchdog group, which recently issued a statement criticizing the government for pressuring a TV network, in an Akahata interview article on November 17 stressed the need to protect broadcasters from government control in order to defend democracy.

The watchdog organization, the Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization (BPO), is a third-party organization in the broadcasting industry. The investigation committee of the BPO on November 6 published a written statement in regard to an allegation that NHK, Japan’s sole public broadcaster, included staged scenes in its documentary program aired in May last year. While acknowledging that the program contained a serious breach of broadcasting ethics, the statement criticizes the communications ministry for giving a warning to NHK regarding the allegation. The BPO statement states that the government act goes against the principle of broadcasting autonomy guaranteed under the Broadcast Law.

The BPO committee chair, Kawabata Yoshiharu, in the Akahata interview said that in the first place, TV corporations in a democratic society have a responsibility to deliver a wide range of opinions to the general public without bias. He argued that lack of such a function will make it impossible for people to make an informed decision. Kawabata went on to say that if a government is allowed to impose control on news programs and suppress critical opinions like a dictatorial country, it is difficult to defend democracy.

On the other hand, Kawabata also said that in order to maintain the right to self-determination, broadcasters need to adopt a system to reflect on their programs and undergo third-party reviews. This is why the BPO exists. Unlike government organizations, the BPO has no authority over broadcasters, and therefore its review will not have chilling effects, he added.

Kawabata insisted that freedom of expression is vulnerable to infringement and that people in the broadcasting industry should fight for this fragile freedom.


Past related articles:
> Third-party organ blames LDP for pressuring NHK [November 7, 2015]
> Citizens call for investigation into NHK’s coverage of planned US base in Henoko [April 22, 2015]