Journalism and fact-checking evolution in Japan

Professor Kenta Yamada of Senshu University discusses the evolving role of journalism and the increasing necessity of fact-checking in the era of social media. The analysis highlights how digital misinformation has influenced recent Japanese elections, including the Okinawa gubernatorial election and various 2024 contests, prompting a need for traditional media to update their practices.

In Japan, formal fact-checking gained prominence following Asahi Shimbun’s 2016 efforts to verify Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Diet testimonies. Since then, the practice has expanded across various media outlets. Organizations like the FactCheck Initiative Japan (FIJ), established in 2017, have played a crucial role by creating guidelines and rating standards to assist media organizations in verifying information.

The discussion also notes the influence of international standards, such as those set by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), which provides a global framework for fact-checking principles used by major media outlets worldwide.