This chapter exposes several egregious scandals within Asahi Shimbun: plagiarism of local newspaper articles, secretly recorded interviews handed to rival factions, and a ¥50 million payment from Takefuji in exchange for favorable coverage without disclosure. These acts mirror blackmail-like tactics rather than journalism. Asahi’s later excuse—“a mistake, we will return the money”—is criticized as no different from a shoplifter who thinks returning stolen goods makes everything acceptable.

2016-01-08

This is the continuation of the previous chapter.
To explain briefly, the Hiroshima bureau reporter’s plagiarism occurred in an article explaining the nuclear non-proliferation (NPT) issue, in which fifty out of 140 lines were stolen from the local Chugoku Shimbun.
This mindset is the same as that of Manager Satake, who once barged into the Sankei Shimbun newsroom in anger.
Asahi is great, and a mere local paper like Chugoku Shimbun should feel honored to have its article “quoted.”
That is likely why the reporter looked puzzled when first accused of plagiarism.
Then came the secret recording incident.
During an internal conflict at Jikei University School of Medicine, a dismissed individual was interviewed, and the reporter secretly recorded it.
This is not journalism — it’s a blackmailer’s method.
Worse still, the recording was handed to the opposing faction.
This was not merely a breach of journalistic ethics; it was extortion carried out under the guise of being a reporter.
Then comes the Takefuji incident.
Takefuji, a loan company notorious for harsh collection practices and other social problems, paid ¥50 million to Weekly Asahi for a series.
Yet the essential “Sponsored by Takefuji” credit was never included.
They simply took the money.
It was the classic black tactic: we won’t write bad things about you, so pay us.
Four years later, Shukan Bunshun exposed the facts under the headline “This Is What We Call Black Journalism.”
Asahi responded: it was a mistake, we will return the money.
It is no different from a street thug who, after being caught shoplifting, says fine, here’s the stolen item back, isn’t that enough?
This chapter continues.