ESOPExchange Students from Overseas Program

News plays a significant role in forming what we all think we know about the world. Through the lens of print news here in Japan, this course asks students to question and discuss the ethics of reporting, tackling issues including anonymous sourcing, privacy vs. public interest, and cozying up to information sources. Hopefully, you will never look at news articles the same way again.

NOTE: You may enrol in this course without having taken Journalism in Japan I.

To achieve the above, you will explore the ins and outs of news reporting by:
- delving into how print news media operates in Japan, especially the big national dailies;
- learning the basics of writing articles and penning a few of your own, from a simple crime story to a major news feature;
- looking at real-world examples from both the past and more recent times, and discussing ethical problems and solutions for each case with classmates and the instructor;
- and choosing real-time news stories to dissect in class, asking the basic but important questions: What happened? And is it news?

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 what it means to behave as an ethical journalist, editor or publication 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.

Articles
The bulk of the written work for this course is made up of three news articles the students will have to write based on provided information and, for the last two, their own research. The articles will rise in complexity from a basic news report to a news feature on a major social issue. The instructor will be looking for structure, efficient presentation of information, and adherence to newswriting ethics such as source accreditation.

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 (where applicable).

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 makes a good news article?

Outline of the class. Short inro to the Japanese media landscape. Class discussion: What makes a good newspaper article? Due in Class 3.

2[対面/face to face]：Part I: The life of a reporter at a Japanese newspaper.
Part II: Building an article 1.

Part I: What's it like to be a reporter in Japan?
Part II: How do you build a basic article?

3[対面/face to face]：Coverage

Who gets coverage? And why?
Short essay due.
Article assignment 1: Write a basic news article based on provided information. Due in Class 4.

4[対面/face to face]：Sources

Goldmines and landmines.
Article 1 due.

5[対面/face to face]：Access journalism and Japan's kisha clubs

What is "access journalism"? And what are kisha clubs, a fairly unique feature of reporting in Japan?
Article assignment 2: A news piece about former US President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima, using speech excerpts.
Due in Class 7.

6[対面/face to face]：Getting personal

Can reporters be friends with their sources? Case study: The Mainichi Shimbun and the return of Okinawa.

7[対面/face to face]：Anonymity

The prevalence of anonymous sources in Japanese articles. When is anonymity necessary, and when is it an ethical misstep? Who does anonymity serve?Article 2 due.

8[対面/face to face]：Privacy

How should reporters handle the privacy of those they cover? Is the story always bigger than the individuals involved?
Article assignment 3: Long-form news article or feature, based on provided information and quotes plus the student's own research.
Up to a 5% bonus for original reporting. First draft due in Class 11.

9[対面/face to face]：Documentary screening

Citizenfour screening.

10[対面/face to face]：Snowden as a source

Discussion of Edward Snowden as a news source, and his treatment by reporters.

11[対面/face to face]：Driving the discussion

Advocacy journalism, agenda-setting and the purpose of reporting the news.
First draft of Article 3 for peer review due

12[対面/face to face]：Article 3 peer review round-table

Let's read each other's articles and give constructively critical feedback, so everyone can improve their work.

13[対面/face to face]：Things foreign

Overseas news coverage in Japan, and Japanese news coverage overseas.
Article 3 Final Due

14[対面/face to face]：PR and the press

What's news and what's an ad?

- Weekly reading assignments.
- Read and be ready to discuss at least one news article about Japan each week.
- Write three news articles and one short essay.
The average study time outside of class per week would be roughly 4 hours.

Readings will be assigned for each class.

Extra readings will be provided as required.

Participation: 25%
Preparation: 25%
Three articles: 40%
Article 1=5%, Article 2=15%, Article 3=20% (+possible bonus)
Note that you should be ready to exchange your work with classmates for peer review. That means getting things done on time. In the news business, missing deadline is not an option.
One short essay: 10%

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

In-class peer review time added.

A laptop or tablet would come in handy but is not essential.

The instructor has been a newspaper writer and editor at a major Japanese daily since 2008.