Japanese Journalist Hiroyuki Akita: Conversations with Sources are Key to Journalistic Objectivity

October 23 2024 | Belgrade

Japanese Journalist Hiroyuki Akita: Conversations with Sources are Key to Journalistic Objectivity

“For a journalist’s work and objectivity, speaking with as many independent sources as possible, including opposing sides is crucial. Absolute truth does not exist, but in order to be objective, verify information accuracy, and form opinions, we must talk to people,” said renowned Japanese commentator of the daily newspaper “Nikkei,” Hiroyuki Akita today.

The conversation with Akita, titled “Journalistic Ethics in Reporting on Foreign Policy and Security”, was organised by the Journalists’ Association of Serbia in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration and the Embassy of Japan in Serbia.

Hiroyuki Akita, at the beginning of his talk with Serbian journalists, mentioned that it was his first time in Serbia, but he felt a sense of closeness with his colleagues because “we have chosen the same life.”

“We decided that in life we would not work to earn money but to have the opportunity to meet people; we are curious, and feel the need and desire to share important information with our audience,” he said.

In his opening remarks, Akita touched upon two topics – the basic principles of journalism in Japan and his personal view on journalism.

He recalled that Japan had been at war with the United States during World War II. According to him, during that period, the media in Japan could not and did not have the power to stop the war. At that time, on one hand, the Japanese government controlled the media, and on the other, the journalists themselves promoted the government and its militant policy.

“When I joined ‘Nikkei’ in 1987, the editors told me, ‘The mission of our paper is to not repeat the same mistake. Our goal is to offer objective information to readers so Japan does not go to extremes and repeat the same mistake,’” Akita said.

He explained that “Nikkei” upholds two principles – support for democracy and support for a market economy. Their goal, he added, was for everyone to have free and accessible access to objective information.

“That is an ideal, but having ideals is important,” said Akita.

His View of Journalists – Levels A, B, and C

Speaking about his perspective on journalism, Akita recounted that fifteen years ago, a Japanese politician who later became the Prime Minister of Japan had shared with him his classification of journalists, with which Akita agreed.

“The politician divided journalists into three levels: A, B, and C. Journalists at level C are those who write what politicians want them to write. However, politicians and interest groups do not truly respect these journalists, viewing them merely as tools,” he explained.

According to Akita’s explanation, journalists at level B occasionally write critical pieces, texts, or analyses that politicians do not like. However, he elaborated that politicians could easily stop communicating with them and, in that way, “punish” them.

“Level A journalists,” he said, “are journalists who always write critically and report on what politicians dislike, but, due to that, they enjoy credibility because they write the truth.”

He noted that politicians could not stop communication with those journalists because they feared losing contact with a credible journalist. 

“People who dare present well-founded criticism are important, and you respect them and do not want to lose them. It is the same with friends,” Akita said.

However, as he pointed out, criticism as such should not always be the goal. It is important to preserve objectivity.

“When I think something is good, I write it. When I think something is wrong, I also write it,” Akita said.

He also talked about his practice of always asking to talk to, that is, interview with the person after he had criticized them in his commentary.

“I always want the other side to be heard. It is important to speak with all sides. Otherwise, it would be the end of communication with that side, which is not good,” Akita said.

Providing Readers with Information to Form Their Opinions is Important

When asked by journalist Ljubica Gojgić, who led the conversation, that in Serbia, it was believed that support for democracy and support for the market economy (the basic principles of “Nikkei”) did not go together, Akita agreed that the two did not always go hand in hand.

“Large corporations have one goal – profit. And that is okay as long as what they do is in the public interest. The role of journalists is to make the operations of these companies as transparent as possible and to report if they do not act in the public interest,” Akita said.

He added that obtaining such information was not always easy, but his experience showed that in such cases, there was always someone who had the data, disagreed with such practices, and wanted to share it with journalists.

“They need to be found; talking to people is needed. Even when officials do not want to give us information, we must strive to obtain it. Journalists have to overcome such situations, but it is sometimes very difficult,” Akita said.

Journalists Should “Diagnose, Not Prescribe”

Responding to a question about how journalists can adapt and remain objective in the highly tense geopolitical situation in the world, Akita answered with a metaphor.

“I do not have a specific answer. I will say it like this – when something hurts, you first go to the doctor. He examines you, runs tests, and gives a diagnosis. Once you have a diagnosis, he prescribes a remedy, and you get better. I think the role of journalists is to, having all the relevant information, give a diagnosis, instead of jumping straight to the prescription,” he emphasised.

He repeated that journalists, like doctors, must do extensive research, gather information, and talk to people to reach a diagnosis.

“I am a commentator; my role, currently, is to write prescriptions, but I cannot do that without first researching and hearing different viewpoints and opinions,” Akita said.

Fake News is Harder to Detect as It is Made from a Combination of Truths

Speaking about fake news, disinformation, and propaganda, Akita said that fake news could be divided into two groups.

“The first is easily recognizable fake news. You say something is black, but it is white. That is clearly fake news. A bigger problem is the other kind, fake news created by combining several true stories,” he said.

As he explained, you can, for example, say that “air pollution is worsening in Serbia and Japan,” which is true, and then you mention corruption, “corruption is worsening.”

“Both are true. But then someone might claim that pollution is increasing because a politician is corrupt, which might not be true,” Akita explained.

He concluded that that kind of narrative was difficult to deal with. 

When asked about his method of verifying information, Akita once again emphasised that to form an opinion, it was most important for a journalist to have as many sources as possible, independent and with opposing viewpoints.

“Absolute truth does not exist. I am not perfect, but I always strive to hear at least two opposing opinions on something and then state my position and the reasons behind it,” Akita said.

Foreign Policy Topics – Relations with America, the War in Ukraine, the NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia...

The conversation with the esteemed Japanese commentator was also an opportunity to exchange opinions and views on various foreign policy topics.

Akita spoke about Japan’s position concerning the United States of America, his view of the overall geopolitical scene in the world, the war in Ukraine, and the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.

Journalist Ljubica Gojgić reminded of Japan’s alliance with the U.S. and asked Akita whether the open alliance with America limited Japanese journalists in criticising the U.S., to which Akita responded that the prevailing answer was increasingly, “No.”

He explained that Japan and the U.S. had an agreement that obligated the U.S. to defend Japan in case of an attack and that the U.S. had a military base on Japanese soil.

“Japan has fully relied on that until now,” he said.

However, he recalled that “during his presidential campaign, Donald Trump stated that the U.S. is obliged to defend Japan if it is attacked, while if the U.S. were attacked, the Japanese would sit at home watching Sony TV.”

Akita explained that that had prompted Japan to reconsider and adjust its foreign policy seriously.

Akita also spoke about the war in Ukraine, predicting that North Korea would soon join in to assist Russia and that considering the strong military relations between Russia, North Korea, China, and Iran, along with the polarization on the geopolitical stage, he said that “the world is becoming similar to the late 1930s.” 

When asked whether he had reported on the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, Akita said that, at that time, as a journalist, he had been covering Japan’s domestic politics.

“I must admit I did not follow the NATO intervention during that time. Now, after speaking with many people in Serbia, I have been able to understand your perspective. This is my first time here; I have learned a lot, but still not enough to pass judgment.”

The Japanese Ambassador to Serbia, His Excellency Akira Imamura, recalled that Japan in 1999 “did not say it supported the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, but that it understood it.”

“There is a difference,” he said, adding that Japan had not clearly supported the NATO bombing due to the absence of approval from the UN Security Council.

Hiroyuki Akita also praised Serbia’s neutrality, stating that he believed it was the best option a country could choose. However, he noted that Japan’s geopolitical position could not be compared to Serbia’s, so Japan could not be militarily neutral.

“Sometimes it is not wise to take sides. Neutrality seems like a better option,” Akita concluded.

The conversation with Hiroyuki Akita today at the Journalists’ Association of Serbia Press Centre was led by our award-winning journalist Ljubica Gojgić, host of the show “Right Angle” on Radio Television of Vojvodina. His Excellency Mr. Akira Imamura, Ambassador of Japan to Serbia, also addressed the attendees, along with representatives from the Ministry of European Integration Ivana Đurić and the Journalists’ Association of Serbia Mateja Agatonović.

Who is Hiroyuki Akita

Hiroyuki Akita has been writing commentary, columns, and analyses on international security and foreign policy for the daily newspaper “Nikkei” since 1987. He worked in the political news department from 1998 to 2002, covering domestic political events as well as Japanese foreign and security policy. From 2007 to 2017, he served as a senior editor and also led a writing team at the Financial Times in London (from October to December 2017).

He was a correspondent in Beijing (1994–1998) and chief correspondent in Washington (2002–2006), where he reported from the White House, Pentagon, and State Department during the Bush administration.

He graduated from Jiyu Gakuen College in 1987 and earned a master’s degree from Boston University.

From 2006 to 2007, he was an associate of the U.S.-Japan Programme at Harvard University, where he conducted research on U.S., China and Japan relations.

In March 2019, he received the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist Award for outstanding achievements in reporting on international relations.

He is the author of two books in Japanese: “Anryu (Power Game of US, China and Japan)” from 2008 and “Ranryu (Strategic Competition of US, Japan and China)” published in 2016.

Source: Journalists’ Association of Serbia