Items in which originally correct information is used in the wrong context, etc. News that
uses facts to give the reader a false impression is classified under this category.
This category is similar to other categories such as "misleading" in that it uses facts as
the basis for its argument, but it is characterized by the fact that it is more intentional than
other categories and aims to manipulate the reader's impression to conform to the author's
opinion.
In today's Japan, we often see "clipped reporting" being condemned. The term "clipping news" is not an official word, but it mainly refers to news reports that cut out a part of a statement or announcement without conveying the context before and after, thus misleading the reader. Of course, it is natural and important to omit statements and other content when reporting, and to edit them to make them easier to understand and shorter. However, sometimes editing can lead to artificial manipulation of impressions.
It is fresh in our minds that the "Cherry Blossom Viewing Party" issue became a hot topic in 2019. The main issue was the ambiguity in the handling of expenses and official
documents related to the "Cherry Blossom Viewing Party," a cherry blossom viewing event
to which distinguished individuals in various fields were invited. In response to this, the
public, especially the media, took refuge, and press conferences were often held to deal
with the issue. This time, I will focus on one of them, a press conference held in December,
which was attended by Mr. Hiroshige Seko, the then Secretary General of the Upper House
of the Liberal Democratic Party. The program that covered it was called "News Station" on TV Asahi.
In the program, this press conference was introduced through the VTR. In response to a
question about the issue, Mr. Seko made a statement that could be interpreted as "the
prime minister explained it, so have a good new year. In response, the commentators in the
program accused him of putting off the issue until after the new year. In fact, watching the
VTR, it appears that Mr. Seko himself said "I have explained" and "Have a good New Year"
in succession, and when he said "Have a good New Year", he was smiling with a drink in
his hand. It seems to me that Mr. Seko and the LDP do not have a sense of crisis and do
not want to take this issue seriously.
In this case, I think it is a little far from being fake news. It is a common practice, and is not the cause of the damage. However, there are people who are acting on the issue of what they consider to be the norm and the lack of adequate reporting. And even though we are a little far from fake news, we need to think about what is not reported in the news and what is behind the news, which is the same as the "Imposter contest" section.
For example, if there is an incident that kills or injures dozens of people in Japan today, all
the major media companies will report the news. There is nothing wrong in reporting the
incident, and it is an act to be proud of, because the incident is a serious one that affects
the lives of the victims, and the role of the media is to convey the feelings of the victims and
the aftermath of the perpetrators. However, it is also important to remember that many
times more people are suffering from conflicts and other problems in the world, and it is
quite natural to think that this should also be reported.
However, there is a tendency in developed countries that the current image of the conflict
is not accurately conveyed. In fact, the mass media in developed countries such as Japan
and the U.S. have little, if any, coverage of developing regions. It is not easy to find them on
major search sites. Even in junior high and high school history textbooks, conflicts in
Europe and Asia, which contributed a lot to the formation of today's society, are covered
extensively, while civil wars in Africa are often limited to column length. That is how small
the image of conflicts in developing countries is in developed countries. However, contrary
to this image, the current conflict situation is causing serious damage.
It is too much of a gross oversimplification to assume that what is being reported is true without checking the facts on which it is based in depth. There are many cases, such as "cases in Japan," where the evidence used is apparently factual, but in fact it is a contrived VTR that has been altered. In addition, even if there is no malicious intent on the part of the disclosing party, there are many facts that should be conveyed, such as "overseas cases," but are not being reported. The opinions currently being reported are only a small part of all the facts, and there are often many more hidden facts behind them. Therefore, it is important to examine and think about the whole picture of the information first, rather than just believing what you are given.