A ban on reference to the Rape of Nanking is seen as a surrender of editorial independence by Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK
Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, has banned any reference to the notorious
Rape of Nanking, to the country’s use of wartime sex slaves, and to its
territorial dispute with China, in what critics see as a surrender of its
editorial independence.
In a secret internal document, obtained by The Times, journalists on
NHK’s English-language services are instructed about the precise phrasing to
be used in reporting some of the most controversial topics in Japanese
politics. The rules appear to reflect the position of the government of
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s conservative nationalist prime minister.