Newspaper Week: The Weight of Mission to Record History

Editorial

16:43 JST, October 15, 2025

In this anniversary year, we wish to once again take to heart the mission that newspapers bear to accurately convey the present state of society and pass down history to future generations.

Newspaper Week has begun. This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II and the 100th year since the start of the Showa era.

Against the background of government and military censorship during the war, media organizations, including newspapers, repeatedly provided reports that exaggerated military achievements based on announcements issued by the Imperial Headquarters. Media organizations cannot escape responsibility for whipping up sentiments of war among the people.

After the end of the war, newspaper companies made a fresh start based on feelings of deep remorse, pledging to pursue truth. Since then, as a print media industry that emphasizes keeping a record of events, newspapers have fulfilled the role of reporting on domestic and foreign situations, among other topics.

This year, The Yomiuri Shimbun has carried a series of stories titled “80 Years after the War” featuring testimonies from over 100 former military personnel and civilians caught up in combat. We recorded how reporters gathered news with images and sounds, releasing over 40 videos on our online platform.

Those who experienced the war keenly feel its folly and strongly believe that such a conflict must never happen again. As they age, gathering news about them will become increasingly difficult. Precisely because these are invaluable testimonies that only people who experienced the war can share, we thought it is significant to convey them to as many people as possible.

Once again, the tragedy of war continues. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has not ended, and the fighting in the Palestinian territory of Gaza reached horrific levels. The Yomiuri Shimbun has dispatched reporters to the field and by other means, reporting on the situations of these wars and the desperate voices of residents.

We have received numerous responses from readers. We deeply feel the significant role expected of newspapers.

With the advances in digital technology, the environment surrounding information has dramatically changed. The speed of the spread of information has become faster, and anyone can disseminate information. Consequently, however, information of unknown veracity proliferates, alongside intentional disinformation and malicious defamation.

With artificial intelligence, it is easy to create videos indistinguishable from the real thing.

One concern is the impact this will have on elections. Situations have arisen in which misinformation and disinformation could sway election results, undermining democracy.

More than ever before, making judgments based on facts is essential. Newspaper companies interview many people involved, consulting documents and literature to verify facts. According to a survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun, about 70% of respondents said newspaper reporting was “trustworthy.”

We will continue to work to thoroughly adhere to these reporting fundamentals, striving for reporting that analyzes events from multiple angles based on scientific data and the knowledge of experts. Should errors occur despite these efforts, we will promptly examine how and why they happened and respond to them sincerely.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 15, 2025)