The Edge of Words and the Fate of the Press: A Dialogue on the Weekly Yomiuri Brush Failure Incident (Late 1970s)

The Edge of Words and the Fate of the Press: A Dialogue on the Weekly Yomiuri Brush Failure Incident (Late 1970s)

In the late 1970s, Japan had passed through the frenzy of rapid economic growth and was moving into a period of stable growth. While society was settling down as the economy matured, fierce competition was taking place in the world of the media. While newspapers and TV stations were promoting fairness in their reporting, weekly magazines were required to provide more stimulating articles, and scandals and whistle-blowing began to adorn their pages. At the same time, however, this created new questions about the ethics and responsibility of the press.

The Yomiuri Weekly Brush Trouble Incident occurred right in the middle of this torrent. A certain article caused a social controversy, and the lives of the people involved became entangled in the situation. In this interview, YASAKI Yasuhisa appears as a witness, and together with ISOMURA Naonori, IWAKAWA Takashi, and the "Ushio" reporting team, he delves into the heart of the case.

Yazaki spoke in detail about the reporting process leading up to the publication of the article and its subsequent impact. From the reporter's perspective, there was a "pursuit of truth," but he was keenly aware of the social repercussions it caused and the situation it created, which he called a "brush disaster. In contrast, Isomura took a dispassionate look at the state of the media, and while freedom of the press should be guaranteed, he raised the question of how far the attitude of the reporters should be allowed to go.

Is the press really a "blade of justice" or a "poison to society"-this question was repeated many times during the discussion. Iwakawa pointed out that the key to the state of weekly newspapers is "what readers want and what they believe. They have a responsibility to convey the truth that is necessary for society, not mere revelations or scandals. At the same time, readers themselves will be required to be discerning in their selection of information.

In the 1970s, Japan was at a turning point in both politics and culture, and the media was beginning to have the power to sway public opinion. In this context, the question arose as to whether the weekly magazines were "truth tellers" or "agitators. This incident led to a growing number of people questioning the nature of the media.

Words sometimes become blades and hurt people. But because they are so sharp, people seek the truth in them and fear them at the same time. This dialogue was not merely an examination of a single incident, but an attempt to explore the fate of the media and the nature of the power of words.