Senkaku Remarks on NHK: Signs Were Missed Due to Lack of Risk Awareness

Editorial

16:03 JST, September 25, 2024

Although there were signs leading up to the inappropriate remarks, they were not adequately addressed, allowing a broadcast to be hijacked. It must be said that there was little sense of urgency about the possibility of something unexpected occurring.

NHK has compiled a report on the inappropriate comments made during news aired on its international and domestic radio channels by a man of Chinese nationality working as an external staff member. It announced that a senior director in charge of international broadcasting had stepped down and that employees had been disciplined.

NHK President Nobuo Inaba apologized at a press conference, saying, “This is an extremely serious situation, as [NHK] failed to fulfill its responsibilities as stipulated in the Broadcasting Law.” The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has also issued administrative guidance, demanding thorough measures to prevent similar incidents.

International broadcasting plays a role in contributing to shaping a correct understanding of Japan and international goodwill. During the program, the man said that the Senkaku Islands are “China’s territory.” This is not true and is totally unacceptable. It is also an extremely serious instance of hijacking a broadcast for one’s own ends.

NHK’s report has revealed that there were several signs that preceded the inappropriate remarks.

The man had translated NHK news scripts into Chinese and read them out for more than 20 years.

He seemed to be concerned about how the content of news he delivered would be perceived by Chinese authorities, among other things. Last year, he asked if he could refuse translation jobs, citing the news on the Senkaku Islands as an example.

Just before the broadcast in question, he reportedly raised his voice, expressing fear for his own safety over translating and reading out a news script about a graffiti incident at Yasukuni Shrine. NHK, however, did not take any action, such as finding someone else to read out the scripts.

China is increasingly emphasizing national security through such steps as a counter-espionage law that came into force in 2014. It would not be surprising if the man felt a growing sense of crisis.

He may have been increasingly frustrated with NHK’s refusal to listen to his concerns. It is obvious that the incident came about due to NHK’s failure to notice the signs and deal appropriately with the problem.

The man’s inappropriate comments lasted for about 20 seconds. NHK staff and an outside director were present at the scene, but they were reportedly too flustered by the sudden incident during a live broadcast to take any action, such as cutting the sound.

As a measure to prevent a recurrence, NHK has switched to pre-recording its international radio news broadcasts. It has also conducted drills and taken other measures to prepare for unforeseen events that may occur during broadcasts.

It seems that the man was also dissatisfied with his work style and salary. Has NHK made efforts to communicate sufficiently with outside staff like this man? This, too, must be examined.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 25, 2024)