Face-to-Face Event (Workshop): Let’s Scrutinize the Authorities’ Words

by GNV | 19 February 2026 | Other

A Forum on the Crisis in Journalism: Proposal-Based Workshop Series

Session 5: Let’s Scrutinize the Language of the Authorities

Presenter: Makoto Kusakawa (Journalist)

In response to the current crisis facing journalism, GNV has been organizing proposal-based workshops. (Session 1: “What Does the Watchdog See? Japan’s International Reporting and the Future of Journalism,” Session 2: “Reflecting on the Crisis in Journalism: What Does ‘Neutrality’ Mean in U.S. Media?,” Session 3: “Systems to Protect and Expand International Reporting,” Session 4: “How Can Freelancers Supplement Japan’s War Reporting?”) We will now hold the fifth workshop as a space where people with diverse backgrounds who are interested in media and journalism can gather and jointly consider practical measures for improvement.

Date & Time: Thursday, February 26, 2026, 18:00–19:30

Target audience: Media professionals, researchers, university students, graduate students, and the general public

Participation fee: Free

Venue: Osaka University Nakanoshima Center, 7th floor (Room 7A Seminar Room)

* The lecture portion only will be streamed via Zoom.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82878399401?pwd=RTNzSDZBOHJPQ0RaRHNXbUJSRk5nQT09

Meeting ID: 828 7839 9401 Passcode: 3GqAhF

Registration: Same-day participation is welcome, but for headcount purposes, please register in advance via the link below if possible.

https://cloud.globalnewsview.org/apps/forms/s/yB4NAW5zFQ27MXXtMExZMraE

Session 5: Let’s Scrutinize the Language of the Authorities

Authorities use language that is convenient for them. When the media adopts that language uncritically, society enters a state of crisis. What happened in the past when “total annihilation” was euphemistically called “heroic death” (gyokusai), and “retreat” was called “advancing in a new direction” (tenshin)? If the authorities forcibly require the media to use certain terms, journalists can at least be consciously aware of it. The real danger is when they accept official language unconsciously. Is it really acceptable to talk about the water from TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as “treated water,” LDP politicians who failed to report funds as “lawmakers who had omissions in their reports,” the shortage of doctors as a “maldistribution,” foreign workers with low wages and no real freedom to choose their jobs as “technical interns,” and those seeking a return to prewar Japan as “conservatives”? The media should carefully scrutinize the language used by those in power before using it. This, we believe, is both the first step and the entirety of what it means to truly serve freedom and democracy.

Presenter: Makoto Kusakawa (Journalist)

What is this series?

This series is a workshop-style event designed to address the deepening crisis in journalism in Japan today by bringing together media professionals, researchers, students, and members of the public. Each session revolves around one concrete proposal, using it as a starting point to explore pathways for improvement. Building on the proposal presented, participants engage in dialogue to examine its feasibility and challenges from multiple angles and to think practically about the future of journalism. Information about Session 6 and beyond will be announced separately.