What's happened
Japan's press freedom ranking has declined, with the country being criticized for traditional and business interests, political pressure, and gender inequalities, leading to a stifling of reporting. Reporters Without Borders highlighted a global decline in press freedom due to political pressure, disinformation, and harassment of journalists.
Why it matters
The decline in Japan's press freedom ranking and the global trend of increasing repression against journalists and independent media outlets are concerning developments that could impact the ability of journalists to report freely and independently. This could have far-reaching implications for democracy, transparency, and the public's access to unbiased information.
What the papers say
Reporters Without Borders pointed out that Japan's media has been shaped into a 'good servant' of the political class, hindering journalists from fulfilling their watchdog role. The organization also criticized Japan's 'kisha' clubs, which restrict access to reporters. The Independent highlighted the global decline in press freedom, with political attacks intensifying and repression faced by journalists. The Guardian noted the increased political repression of journalists and independent media outlets worldwide.
How we got here
Japan's decline in press freedom rankings can be attributed to factors such as traditional and business interests, political pressure, and gender inequalities that impede journalists from fulfilling their watchdog role. Globally, there has been a rise in political attacks on press freedom, including the detention of journalists, suppression of independent media, and dissemination of misinformation.
More on these topics
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Reporters Without Borders is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization that safeguards the right to freedom of information.
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Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
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Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exercised freely.
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.