Originally published on December 31, 2020. This article criticizes NHK for airing China’s claims and imagery with little scrutiny, resulting in reporting that appears to glorify China while ignoring facts inconvenient to Beijing. Referring to Wuhan virus coverage, footage from Shanghai, a Huawei-related feature, and Sekihei’s Sankei Shimbun column on the shocking remark that “100 million people are unemployed,” the piece questions NHK’s evident bias.

2020-12-31
NHK simply airs China’s claims, though almost everything it says is untrustworthy.

Just the other day, I was half-watching NHK’s 7 p.m. news.
NHK was airing China’s claims exactly as they were, though almost everything it says is untrustworthy.
It showed footage that made it seem as if there were not a single person infected with the Wuhan virus in China any longer.
While the narration said that no one in Shanghai was wearing a mask, those images were broadcast.
It was like watching a Chinese propaganda broadcaster.
After that, NHK showed footage of Europe and the United States, where countries were struggling with lockdowns and similar measures.
It was reporting in a way that all but declared that China’s response was correct, and that every country other than China had handled things badly.
As I thought to myself that NHK ought to call itself a Chinese state broadcaster, I changed the channel.
In today’s Sankei Shimbun serialized column, China Watch, there appears an article by Sekihei titled, “The Shock of the Remark: ‘100 Million Unemployed.’”
NHK does not report such inconvenient truths for China.
Previously, it had even aired a feature program that subtly defended Huawei.
To be continued.