Poodle of Administration

Japan Broadcasting Corporation, always abbreviated to NHK, is targeted by newspapers. Chairman of NHK, Katsuto Momii, has been putting pressure on his staffs not to deliver news against current administration. On news reports about relation between consecutive earthquakes in Kumamoto and security of nuclear power plants, Momii ordered to report based only on official information. He is criticized as not understanding what journalism is all about.

It is a major public concern how consecutive earthquakes in Kumamoto affects nuclear reactors in power plants. There are some nuclear power plants around the rift that has been causing the quakes. Although it recorded no accident with the earthquakes so far, Sendai Plant of Kyushu Electric Power Company is an only nuclear power plant that is operating in Japan now. Genkai and Ikata are closer to the rift than Sendai, but they are not in operation.

It was about a week later from the first major earthquake shook Kumamoto when Momii issued a strange order. “On nuclear power plant, I hope you to report based on official announcement, not to inappropriately amplify the concern of residents around,” said Momii in an internal meeting for disaster management. Criticism on his order rose up from NHK staffs.

Momii was grilled in a committee of House of Representatives a week later. “I hoped to report numeric about radioactive materials in monitoring post or opinion of Nuclear Regulation Authority. I think it is strange to broadcast ambiguous information that may cause unnecessary confusion or concern of the residents around,” explained Momii about his order.

Mainichi Shimbun quoted an opinion of workers union of NHK. “We report news based on what we come to know through our activity as journalists. Fact is found through our activity of coverage, not confirmed at the time when government recognizes or announces the fact,” said the chairman of the union. Workers in NHK are frustrated by distrust of their boss on them.

Insisting on “unnecessary confusion,” Momii also neglect conscience of the news recipients. TV watchers in Japan are sophisticated enough to select what is true or not. All the news organization has to do is to provide with various information from open source. Momii has been recognized not as a watchdog but a poodle of Shinzo Abe administration, as he repeatedly insisted on followership to the government on security legislature or constitutional argument. Independence of broadcasting is threatened by a leader indirectly appointed by the government.