Japan Status: Free Legal Environment: 2 Political Environment: 13 Economic Environment: 6 Total Score: 21 Press freedom is constitutionally guaranteed and generally respected in practice. In 2005, the Niigata District Court upheld the right of journalists to refuse to reveal anonymous sources in a case in which a U.S. health food company asserted that inflammatory news reports dating from 1997 were based on a leak about the company’s investigation for tax evasion. On March 17, 2006 and again on June 13 a Tokyo High upheld the ruling of the lower court that protection of news sources served the public interest and the public’s right to know, and that journalists could protect the identity of their sources, even if the source was a public official. On July 21 an unidentified man hurled a Molotov cocktail at the headquarters of Japan’s largest business daily, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, according to local and international press reports. No one was hurt in the attack, and the office suffered minor damage. Police are investigating possible motives, including the newspaper’s exclusive story about the late emperor Hirohito’s refusal to visit the war memorial, known as the Yasukuni Shrine, after it began honoring 14 convicted war criminals in 1978. Concerns continue regarding the lack of diversity and independence in reporting, especially in political news. This is facilitated in part by a system of kisha kurabu, or journalist clubs, in which major media outlets have cozy relationships with bureaucrats and politicians. Exposes by media outlets that belong to journalist clubs are frowned upon and can result in the banning of members from press club briefings. Smaller media organizations and foreigners are excluded from journalist clubs. Japanese journalist clubs have been criticized by Reporters Sans Frontieres and the European Union because the government gives club members exclusive access to political information. In return, journalists tend to avoid writing critical stories about the government, thereby reducing the media’s ability to pressure politicians for greater transparency and accountability. Most of Japan’s investigative journalism is conducted by reporters outside the press club system. In recent years, the rising number of journalists who do not participate in press clubs has slightly eroded their power to act as gatekeepers for news concerning government ministries and political parties. Japan has a vigorous and free media and boasts the highest daily newspaper circulation per capita in the world. Many national dailies have circulations topping 1 million and often produce afternoon and evening editions as well. More than half of the national newspaper market share is controlled by “the big three”: Yomiuri, Asahi, and Mainichi. There is considerable homogeneity in reports, which relate the news in a factual and neutral manner. Television news content, once dominated by the public station NHK, has diversified considerably with the rising popularity of Asahi, Fuji, TBS, and satellite television. Japan boasts over 47 million registered internet users, representing almost 70 percent of the population. No government restrictions on access to the internet were reported in 2006.
South Korea Status: Free Legal Environment: 9 Political Environment: 11 Economic Environment: 10 Total Score: 30 Freedom of the press is guaranteed under the law, and is generally respected in practice. Censorship of the media is against the law in South Korea, though some websites have been blocked for posting pro–North Korean content and the government requires all website operators to indicate if their site might be harmful to youths. The 1948 National Security Law remains on the books, including Article 7, which allows imprisonment for praising or expressing sympathy for North Korea. However, the government also blocks the sale of video games that feature North Korea harshly. President Roh Moo-hyun’s tenure as head of the liberal Uri Party government has been marked by disputes with conservative media outlets and allegations that the government has acted to reduce the media’s influence through two new media reform laws that were passed in January 2005. But on June 29, 2006, the Supreme Court struck down several measures in the January 2005 law, The Law Governing the Guarantee of Freedom and Functions of Newspapers Etc. (also known as the Newspaper Law) requiring all newspapers, including those with internet sites, to register with the government and designates newspapers with a market share of more than 30 percent, or a combined total of 60 percent for three dailies, as “dominant market players.” This law was believed to be aimed at the three major daily newspapers in South Korea, which are politically conservative and which have voiced disapproval of many measures of the Roh administration. The three dailies, Chosun Ilbo, Dong-a Ilbo and JoonAng Ilbo had challenged the Newspaper Law, and the Constitutional Court determined by a vote of seven to two that the law was contrary to press freedom “because readers can freely decide which paper they want to read.” South Korea has a vibrant and diverse media, with numerous cable, terrestrial, and satellite television stations and over 100 daily newspapers in Korean and English across the nation. Many newspapers depend financially on large corporations for their advertising revenue. There are both public and privately owned radio and television broadcast stations, including an American Forces Network for the U.S. military. The South Korean online media are especially vigorous and innovative. For example, in 2000 an interactive internet news site called OhMyNews was initiated where citizens can submit their own news articles which are often published immediately on the site. The internet is unrestricted by governmental regulation and more than 65 percent of the population was recorded as being online in 2006 while a significant number of young people get their news exclusively via electronic sources.
>Concerns continue regarding the lack of diversity and independence in reporting, especially in >political news. This is facilitated in part by a system of kisha kurabu, or journalist clubs, in which >major media outlets have cozy relationships with bureaucrats and politicians. 引き続き懸念されるのは報道における多様性と独立性の欠如で、それは政治ニュースで顕著である。 これは「記者クラブ」の制度が原因の一端を担っており、主要なメディアは官僚や政治家と馴れ合いの関係を築いている。
>Most of Japan’s investigative journalism is conducted by reporters outside the press club system. 調査報道の大部分は、記者クラブ制度の外にいる記者が行っている。