ESOPExchange Students from Overseas Program

This course asks you to think about and discuss the principle of press freedom through its expression here in Japan. Over the 14 weeks of the course, you will delve into the Japanese free press' sometimes troubled history and present reality, while grappling with questions that go to the heart of not just journalism, but to definitions of the "public good" and the health of democratic systems. For example: Is state control of the news media ever justified? Looking at real-world situations for context, your own responses may surprise you. Like any good journalist, be curious and critical.

Using historical and present-day case studies, you will examine what press freedom actually means in practice, and the different ways it can be restricted. For example, does keeping secrets and imposing penalties for reporting them count as limiting press freedom? You will do this by:

- examining the early days of print news in Japan, and the dark days of the descent into war;
- discussing types of information control, and present-day law and attitudes to official secrecy;
- questioning, through actual examples, whether there are any ethical limits to freedom of the press and expression;
- comparing coverage of the same issues in different publications;
- a midterm essay and end-of-term team debate on a question related to press freedom or freedom of speech;
- and talking about how news is covered from day to day, through class analysis of at least one real-time news article per week (of your choosing).

英語 / English

In Class
Each class will start with a discussion on one or two articles (chosen by you the student) from the previous week, focussing not just on the content of the news but on how it is presented and why.

We will then move on to the topic of the day, starting the class discussion with points from that week's readings and treating each as a case study, and attempt to draw conclusions about the role and responsibility of journalism in each situation.

This is a heavily discussion-based course (as is reflected in the grading structure), and you will get feedback on your comments from the instructor in real time. While participation is necessary, quality of contribution is more important than volume; well thought-out ideas are appreciated, and will be acknowledged in class.

After Class
By the end of the Monday after each class, students will post their personal thoughts on the topic discussed in the course discussion forum on Hoppii, and comment on at least one other student's reflections, to keep the discussion fresh and moving forward. The instructor will also read and comment on the students' posts.

Midterm Paper and Team Debates
The two major projects are a midterm paper of about 2,000 words on a major issue of journalism, information literacy or freedom of expression, and a final team debate on the same or similar issue. For the debate, the instructor will be looking at the quality of the arguments, strong evidence, debate performance, and the team's ability to answer questions on their topic. The instructor will provide paper and debate topic suggestions on request.

Other Written Work
The instructor will provide feedback on written work in the form of extensive comments and constructive criticism, as well as a number grade.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1[対面/face to face]：What is journalism for?

Outline of the class. Reflections on your assumptions about the purposes of journalism. Class discussion and short essay assigned.

2[対面/face to face]：Small paper, big paper, huge paper

Introducing Japanese print news outlets and reporting styles. Comparison with English-language newspapers.

3[対面/face to face]：Censorship and self-censorship I

A little bit of history on the early days of Japan's news business - and information control - starting in the Meiji period. Class discussion.

Short essay due.

4[対面/face to face]：War and the news
(Warning: This session contains graphic descriptions of war)

Delving into the treacherous space between news and propaganda in WWII Japan. What is the news media's responsibility during wartime?

5[対面/face to face]：Censorship and self-censorship II

Flash forward to Japan's present. What should and should not be a secret? Is freedom of speech under threat in Japan?

6[対面/face to face]：Access journalism

What is "access journalism", and can it be used to strangle free reporting? We will also explore Japan's kisha clubs.

7[対面/face to face]：Hot potato topics I

How are topics that tend to spark a backlash from the public or specific groups handled by newspapers? Case study: "Comfort women."

8[対面/face to face]：Hot potato topics II

Presentations to the class on specific hot potato topics. Group discussion.
Midterm paper due

9[対面/face to face]：Hot potato topics II continued

Presentations to the class on specific hot potato topics. Group discussion.

10[対面/face to face]：Debate preparation consultations and in-class work

A chance to consult with the instructor on your debate preparation, and in-class work.

11[対面/face to face]：How far is too far?

Debating the limits of freedom of speech in a newspaper. Is there such a thing as 'too offensive to print'?

12[対面/face to face]：Freedom of the press in the social media age

Is fake news and mass opinion manipulation a threat to the role of freedom of speech in a democratic society?

13[対面/face to face]：Team Debates I

Team debates on a critical question relating to journalism and/or freedom of expression, and answer questions from peers and the instructor.

14[対面/face to face]：Team Debates II

Team debates on a critical question relating to journalism and/or freedom of expression, and answer questions from peers and the instructor.

- Weekly reading assignments.
- Read and be ready to discuss at least one news article about Japan
per week.
- Post personal reflections to the Hoppii course discussion forum
on the topic of the previous class. Posts are due by the end of the
Monday after each class, to give other students and the instructor
time to respond.
- One short essay, a midterm paper and team debate preparation.
The average study time outside of class per week would be roughly
4 hours.

Students will receive weekly reading assignments. Also, students
are expected to keep an eye on current affairs in Japan by following
the news regularly.

Additional literature will be introduced in class as necessary.

Participation: 20%
Class preparation: 20%
Short essay: 10%
Weekly reflections on Hoppii discussion forum: 10%
Midterm essay: 15%
Team debate : 25% (10% preparation, 15% debate performance)

NOTE: Two unexplained absences will result in an automatic E
grade.

I have added a content warning for Class 4, War and the News.

A laptop or tablet would be handy, but not essential.

The instructor has been a newspaper writer and editor at one of Japan's largest dailies since 2008.

None