June 28, 1996
Dear Editor:
Recently, I watched, with horror, as a car sped through a
stop sign and plowed into a motorcyclist. The victim was a student, and I think he might
have been killed. I was the only eye-witness. Many people rushed to the scene when
they heard the loud crash. I was gesturing for someone to call an ambulance, but I was
ignored.
Because of my concern for the victim I wanted to be
available to the police, so I immediately went to a nearby English speaking school to
explain the situation. I was assured that I had no responsibility as an eye-witness, and
that the laws are different here than they are in the U.S. A teacher did contact the
police, and I was informed that they had no interest in talking with me.
Subsequently, Japanese friends combed through newspapers and
watched the local TV news to ascertain the fate of the victim, but I was told that nothing
about the accident appeared. Since then, I have learned that it is not unusual for a fatal
accident to be unreported in the news. Meanwhile, I carry a sharp image of that accident
in my head and I cannot forget it easily.
This leads me to question what is considered newsworthy in
Japan. I also wonder what is considered public information and what is considered private.
In the U.S. every police report is public record. Lists of all police actions from
accidents to arrests for drunk driving, petty thievery, to more heinous crimes are listed
in the paper on a regular basis. Obviously, this is not true in Japan. Ethics regarding
the printing of news seems to be quite different, also.
If a member of the U.S. military molests a young woman it is
considered national news in Japan. However, the daily occurrence of similar sexual
molestation of women and young girls by Japanese men is not considered newsworthy. How
many pages would it take to print the news if each incident of this kind was reported, and
an arrest was made in each case?! In the U.S. this kind of behavior is considered a crime.
In Japan is it not considered newsworthy, unless the
perpetrator is a foreigner? If a member of the U.S. military has an accident in Okinawa
and pedestrians are fatally injured, it is national news, even if it is very clearly an
accident, and there was no ill-intent. But if a Japanese student is fatally injured by
another Japanese, who clearly violated the law, it is not considered newsworthy even in
the same town where it occurred. Is one human life worth more than another? I think not.
When a Japanese man is murdered in the U.S. -- in a case
that looks suspiciously like it is related to gambling debts or domestic problems -- it
warrants front page headlines, and hours of TV coverage. The implication is that the
murder is somehow "U.S.-caused," thus promoting the image of a violent America,
although the location may be irrelevant. However, when a similar shooting occurs in Japan,
it receives much less attention.
Since becoming aware of these trends, my husband and I have
carefully followed the presentation of news in Japan, and have paid particular attention
to the "National News Briefs" section of the Japan Times. With more
finely tuned perceptions, we have noticed that a disproportionate number of stories
present gaijin in the negative light and Japanese nationals in a positive light. Is
that a fair representation of the national news? Is it truly national news that a Japanese
student saved an American's life in the U.S.? Would it be noticed if an American saved a
Japanese life, in any country? I'm certain it happens, but can't recall reading about it.
As we read the Japan Times we appreciate the good
coverage of many social problems in Japan, although some have xenophobic underpinnings.
However, we have grave concern about other topics. Particularly crime in Japan.
In the U.S., reporting of violent crime has increased
significantly, while the incidence of such crimes has actually decreased. The media's
coverage leaves the average citizen with the inaccurate idea that crime is increasing.
Conversely, underreporting of crime in Japan makes us wonder what the actual crime rate
is, and whether we have had a false sense of safety while living here..
In many years of walking in the U.S., I have never
personally encountered any serious threat to my safety or welfare. When we moved to Japan
I continued to walk daily, without hesitation and without fear. The difference in Japan
was that I didn't even think about it. I assumed I was safe anywhere, and broadcast
that notion to my friends everywhere. However, if that is so, why are our Japanese friends
alarmed when they learn I walk alone? Why do they warn me that I must lock my doors and
close my windows when I am home alone? Why do they seem frightened for me? Do they know
something I don't know? Were my feelings of being safer in this country merely an illusion
-- something endorsed by the media? If many crimes are not even reported by the victims,
and others are not considered newsworthy, what should I believe about my own safety?
It makes us sad to hear from Japanese friends,
"Students don't want to go to the U.S. because it is too violent." How much
truth is there in that sentiment? I don't know. In a middle-sized town where I lived in
Pennsylvania, there were a total of 3 murders over a 21-year time period. In the town, a
suburb of Philadelphia, where my husband has lived for 30 years he can recall six murders.
Each time a murder occurs, no matter what the circumstances, the news is alarming, and
covered extensively.
However, near our home in Japan, at least one murder
occurred recently, and the small story in the national paper had a dateline of our town. I
heard nothing else about it, including on the local news.
If all crime was reported in Japan, as extensively as it is
reported in the U.S.; if as much attention was paid by the Japanese to domestic crime as
is paid to Western crime, would Japan be considered a safer place to live?
What choices are made, when deciding "which" news
to present without "fear or favor"? In Japan where saving face is vital,
many truths are kept hidden. What responsibility does the press have? Is it possible for a
news organ to thrive within the culture without promulgating the culture? Do you print
what people want to read in order to sell the newspaper, or do you print the truth? How
hard does one search for the truth among all the secrets, buried in myriad layers of
culture? The power of the press is fearsome. Decision-making, regarding choice, coverage,
placement, and prominence of news, is an awesome responsibility. What is the line between
news and propaganda? Can news without "fear or favor" exist?
Meanwhile, how can I know how safe I am in Japan? What
precautions do I need to take? How can I learn if crime occurs even on my block? How can I
learn if the young student I watched being hit by a car lived on died? I have learned that
I cannot depend on the news to find the truth. I have found that it is almost impossible
to find the truth about many things here in Japan. What, then, is role of the news media
in Japan?
Marie S. Grant
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