After programming into the wee hours of night, I woke up late this morning and turned on the TV, expecting to hear some indication of whether the war had started.
I don’t watch TV much here in Japan but when I found myself staring at CNN I was surprised. I don’t remember having CNN access here in Japan…
What I discovered was that more than half of the channels were covering the attack, which had begun with an explosion just a few minutes earlier. In the hours that followed I was beginning to get a feel for how the Japanese television media covers the war.
First of all, much like 9/11 reporting and earlier wars I had “watched” on US television, Japanese news coverage shared the following “standard” features:
-An extreme shortage of new information, “facts” or “images” such that the same images, clips, or factlets are repeated constantly on all channels.
-To offer some pause in the repitition, repeated phone calls to journalists on the scene to ask them, again, “What is the situation on the ground?” or “What do the average citizens think?” Either a pretty map of the location of the journalist is shown or a looping video of a random explosion (some times in slow motion or zoomed in) or military equipment in action is played. In response to a request for an update, they basically offer an oral (and presumably thus more legitimate) version of the images and factlets which have been constantly repeated. In response to the question of what citizens think, there are often such unenlightening answers like, “they are scared” or “from my hotel room I can see people walking about outside” etc.
-To offer some “analysis” random “experts” are asked to describe the images or factlets that are being shown as the image of them speaking is shown in corner of the screen. This information usually ranges from the “bloody obvious” to the pathetically irrelevant or blindly speculative. Any analysis which would provoke too much thought on the part of the audience is avoided, since it might potentially distract them from the coverage which follows. There must be a constant flow.
-To offer some sense of new information coming in, repeated updated reports are given, with the occasional noun or adjective changed, by correspondents in strategic locations (pentagon, New York streets, various busy-looking journalist offices).
-When they are really desperate, the screen will show a running video of what basically looks like a web cam of some random location in Baghdad. Cars drive past, and occasionally anti-aircraft fire add a little fireworks to the scene but no one seems to know what we are looking at, or really care. At least we feel like “we are on the scene” and “up to date” When the reporters run out of things to say, you can occasionally get a chuckle when they say, “As you can see, cars are still driving on the streets”
-When they need to build up some action, there is the repetition of old footage of military in training, or in action from previous wars, or shots of lots of machinery driving or flying about.
-Statements, usually the highly rhetorical kind, of military and political officials are repeated over and over again.
-After new footage is gained and quotes gotten, the information goes thorugh a process of “clipification”. At first we get to see the full footage and the whole quote. Then as it gets repeated throughout the next few hours, it becomes more and more edited, cut into pieces, and mashed together with other previous clips. In this process, context often gets manipulated.
There are also a few slightly different features of the Japanese media in addition to these standard features:
-Like many news and other programs, the Japanese television coverage of the war makes heavy use of the long table of journalists and experts. The three to seven people seated there making comments or just adding a “Yes indeed” or “Yes, exactly” are a stark contrast to the usual two or one in US and European news programs.
-There is a fascinating use of sponsors not only during the commercial break like in the US, but while showing war footage. There is something disturbing about seeing footage of explosions in Iraq when suddenly text coming onto the screen saying “This [explosion?] is brought to you by…” and displaying things like hair products for the elderly, household appliances, etc. Of course, the target for the day time advertisers are the elderly and housewives, not researchers like me.
-The role of CNN is an amazing feature. CNN in Japanese reportage of the war is the equivalent of the “pentagon news room” for the US media. There are periodic “CNN updates” with CNN footage, CNN interviews (simultaneous translation of CNN reporters), and even a Japanese journalist reporting outside the CNN broadcast room to give you the “latest” from “CNN headquarters”. They quite literally say things like, “Kobayashi, reporting from CNN” (instead of “Kobayashi, reporting from the Pentagon/Baghdad/Kuwait/etc.) CNN is not a just a reporter of news, CNN has become a primary Japanese SOURCE of news.
-As always, the Japanese television news programs have such, how can we put it…..cute maps and signs. For example, on one channel this morning there was a full 3D plastic model map of Iraq covering the table around which everyone sat. On this there was a really cute single tank model on the map marching towards Baghdad with a big arrow pointing the direction followed by a really cute model plane (again with helpful arrow) also pointed towards Baghdad. There wasn’t actually anything useful on the map, it was just there in the middle, perhaps so we would see how Iraq is shaped, and which direction the tank was going, or perhaps just to be cute.