TV Networks and Radio Networks
– NHK is a public service broadcaster financed through viewer fees.
– NHK maintains neutral reporting and does not mention commodity brand names.
– Nippon Television Network System (NNS)/Nippon News Network (NNN) is headed by Nippon Television (NTV) and affiliated with Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
– The Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) owns the Tokyo Broadcasting System station and the Japan News Network (JNN).
– Fuji Network System (FNS) and the Fuji News Network (FNN) share the flagship station Fuji Television.
– NHK Radio 1 and NHK Radio 2 are part of NHK.
– Japan Radio Network (JRN) has TBS radio as its flagship station.
– National Radio Network (NRN) has Nippon Cultural Broadcasting and Nippon Broadcasting System as its flagship stations.
– Radio Nikkei is an independent shortwave station with nationwide broadcasts.
– FM radio networks include NHK-FM, Japan FM Network (JFN), Japan FM League, and MegaNet.
Social Media
– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Line are the leading social media platforms in Japan.
– Line is an app for instant communication on electronic devices.
– Facebook usage in Japan is at 47.75%, followed by X (formerly Twitter) at 19.33% and YouTube at 13.9%.
– Nearly 100% of Japanese residents are online, with smartphone usage reaching 80%.
– Over half of the population uses some form of social media.
Magazines
– Weekly magazines include Aera, Friday, Josei Jishin, Nikkei Business, and Shūkan Asahi.
– Monthly magazines include Bungei Shunjuu, Chuuou Kouron, Seiron, and Sekai.
– Manga magazines have a separate list.
– Shūkanshi magazines include Shūkan Economist, Shūkan Kinyoubi, Shūkan Bunshun, and Shūkan Diamond.
– Other magazines include Shūkan Gendai, Shūkan Josei, Spa!, and Sunday Mainichi.
Newspapers
– Major newspapers include Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Nikkei Shimbun.
– Yomiuri Shimbun is conservative and has the highest daily circulation.
– Asahi Shimbun is liberal and known for its left-leaning discourse.
– Mainichi Shimbun is center-left and has a deep relationship with Kodansha and Shochiku Film.
– Regional papers include Sankei Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun/Tokyo Shimbun, Nishinippon Shimbun, Hokkaido Shimbun, and Chugoku Shimbun.
– Specialty papers include Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Seikyo Shimbun, Shimbun Akahata, Keiba Book, and Shūkan Go.
Credibility of the Press in Japan and Key Stations
– The credibility of the press in Japan suffered after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant crisis.
– Reporters failed to press government and industry sources for more information during the crisis.
– Official reports about the crisis turned out to be inaccurate or wrong.
– Journalist turned lawyer, Kazuo Hizumi, details structural problems in his book, ‘Why is mass media called mass garbage?’, which argues that a complex network of institutions shapes the mass media and discourages critical thinking.
– Hizumi identifies elite bureaucrats, judiciary, education system, law enforcement, and large corporations as part of this network.
– In Japan, there are five key broadcasting stations: Nippon Television, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Fuji Television, TV Asahi, and TV Tokyo.
– These key stations produce news shows and entertainment programs.
– They wholesale their programs to local broadcasting stations through networks.
– Key stations have a strong influence on the media and are often criticized.
– The networks are also connected to newspaper publishing companies, further strengthening their influence. Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media_in_Japan
