Amid growing concern over the deterioration of newspaper and television reporting, political leaders argue that the Kake Gakuen controversy was a fabricated scandal driven by media narratives.
A critical reflection on media influence and political accountability.

Among them, the deterioration of newspaper and television reporting, which still holds significant influence over the public, is particularly glaring.
2018-01-30.
The following is from an article by Koichi Hagiuda, Member of the House of Representatives, Acting Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, published in the monthly magazine HANADA.
Emphasis in the text is mine except for the headline.
The Kake issue is a “manufactured scandal.”
A commotion in the Diet lasting more than half a year.
The year 2017 was one in which the deterioration of reporting came to be widely recognized as a major problem.
Among these issues, the decline in newspaper and television reporting—still highly influential over the public—is particularly excessive.
It is natural that politicians are sometimes subjected to harsh criticism, but such criticism should always be based on facts.
However, regarding the “Moritomo and Kake” issues that dominated public discourse last year, labeling without factual basis and image manipulation ran rampant, and innocent individuals were reported as if they had committed wrongdoing.
There are problems in lumping together these two issues as “Morikake,” and regarding the Moritomo Gakuen case, there were indeed points concerning land management that the government and administrative authorities should have reviewed.
However, the Kake Gakuen issue itself was a “manufactured scandal.”
The national strategic special zone application by Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture simply followed administrative procedures, being calmly reviewed according to the established process—if it met the conditions, it was approved; if not, it was rejected.
To be continued.