1. We learn today that an ex-minister has started his own party called "Party for Everyone". Ironic really, because there are only three members.
2. This rather good cartoon by Roger Dahl:
One reason not to:
You can read 'em free on the Net. Double Doohhhh!
6 comments:
Were I to subscribe to a newspaper in Japan again, Our Man, it would probably be the JT, mostly out of admiration for what it has done in the past and for the fact that they are not tight-jacketed in the kisha system. This gives it the flexibility and believability that others don't have.
Unfortunately it has the problem that you mentioned---why pay for what we can get free? (Although I haven't seen evidence that it is affecting Japanese language papers which do not usually offer as much free content.)
The usual must-read columns in the J-Times is the mediamix thing by Philip Brasor methinks, and that's not included in their online feed, as far as Our Man can tell. Actually, it shouldn't matter whether the news is on paper or online, as long as there is advertising. Online may not garner the same amounts of advertising dosh, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than a printing infrastructure, Trouble is, the JT hasn't really embraced what the web can do. Eg, have you tried leaving a comment on their website?
While the JT isn't bound by the rules of the kisha club, there's very little investigative reporting going on. The majority of reporters are Japanese, so that may very well be a cultural thing. But coming from an English-language paper, it's a crying shame. If only there were more bilingual foreigners with journalism background...
Good point J-88, but "there's very little investigative reporting going on" anywhere. Have you watched the TV news recently? Read any papers from anywhere that made you sit up and say "Damn, I never thought of that, they've got the bastards by their short and curlies now!"
Our Man hasn't for a long time. Except on the net, but then rarely more than opinion based on, er, opinion.
It's true there ain't much now, but I can recall a time when the Japan Times did do some decent investigative reporting---at least on occasion. I suspect whatever the reason, it is something more than just culture. Perhaps it's a lack of money now.
I'm not sure how money would play into getting off one's ass and stirring some shit up, except for some lazy reporter who may complain that he/she "doesn't get paid enough to do that."
Fair enough, I guess. But sad nonetheless.
As for bemoaning the lack of hard-hitting reporting...there are occasionally some good pieces in the Washington Post/LA Times reporters these days. Their Asia hands (namely Blaine Harden) put out some decent stuff.
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