Blurry images

[acjama]

This is probably not the kind of "Image of Japan" most Japanese would like to let out to the world.
So here it is!!!

Any takers? Is this the way to deal with it? Has it been the way to deal with it in other countries that already experienced the very same thing? Am I just a complaining gaijin here, or do you agree that this kind of behaviour is universally reprehensible within human morality?

[Tsuwabuki]

This kind of behavior is common in most countries. Mainstream media, printed, radio, or television is very slow to react to certain stories based on definitions of "credibility." Investigative journalism has been on life support for years now.

If you're a news source, you'll probably report what the governor or CEO or degreed expert has to say on a subject, because given their positions and/or education, they have "credibility." You probably won't report what one person or a few people on the street have to say, especially if all their neighbors think they're looney tunes. In the past, reporters had enough time to actually dig deeper. Maybe the governor, the CEO, and the nuclear engineer all have funny aspects to their stories- maybe the mother's children really do have geiger-counter detectable radiation issues. However, this requires investigative journalism, and witht he 24 hour news cycle, facebook, and twitter, many journalists are required to pump out bulletins constantly without the ability to properly background and research their stories.

This really has nothing to do with Japan, except that Japan is one of the most newspaper friendly countries in the world.

I've written for three newspapers and two magazines in Texas, and I recently contributed to a feature in the Japan Times. My BA is English, but many of my upper divisions were journalism. I currently write at least once a week for a paper back in Texas now.

[acjama]

Originally Posted by Tsuwabuki

This kind of behavior is common in most countries. Mainstream media, printed, radio, or television is very slow to react to certain stories based on definitions of "credibility."

Hm. Valid points, when tabloids are excluded (thousands of scientists agree on global warming, but the headlines only screams of the one that doesn't, etc).

But they were not my points. "Family" pressuring a woman to divorce because of civic activity? Definitely not a global phenomenon.
Well, the delusion that physical measurable world (such as radioactive hot spots) is subject to belief certainly is global, yes. That part I concede (though I do not approve).

"if the truth contradicts deeply held beliefs, that is too bad".