In Japan, a journalist stands by hitting the head

Makoto Watanabe, one of Japan’s largest newspaper newspaper Fukushima kidnapped from the largest investigative bar about the Fukushima nuclear tragedy, and the employees missed the plant against the plant’s commandments.

11 years ago and was Asahi Shimbun fall under fire Other media and government supporters, the newspaper only misleaded what the garbage instructions were. After declaring that he stopped behind the story, Asahi faced and withdrew each other at a press conference.

Then the newspaper closed the investigative team, which was produced in the article, and journalists were less controversial than the authorities. Mr. Watanabe left his work in Japanese leading newspaper. But what did he do next, was more unusual – Mr Watanabe began the first media in the first media dedicated to Japan’s investigation journalism.

“The newspaper was more interested in the protection of the privileged access more than to inform his readers.” “I wanted to make a new media that will not fold.”

Eight years later, her Tokyo investigation news TRANSA remains smaller. As the editor-in-chief, the two full-time employees control the volunteer and the experiment. In the last afternoon, a Nondescript Tokio has worked in a Spartan room with two small massages and bookshelves on the second floor of the office building.

However, the Tansa, which is about the nearest “deep investigation”, is finally a sign. Since 2021, 2018 published a number of articles Forced sterilizations of exposed decades The mentally disabled manages the government to compensate forced and compensation for the victims last year last year. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK has signed a contract to use the content of the tension.

Non-profit, entirely donations and private grants with a 2024 budget, which is 60 million yen or about $ 400,000, has seen a continuous growth in the number of readers that support monthly contributions. Mr Watanabe plans to hire two new journalists in this spring, including one of another major newspapers.

“People start to recognize that we stand for something different,” said Mr Watanabe, when he scanned an online archive for information about industrial pollutants, near a correspondent.

Like Mr. Watanabe, journalists were looking for more independent journalism and the voices ignored by the main media of Japan. “Only asking the stories in Tansa, ‘Who does it hurt by this?’

When Mr. Watanabe saw a physical and mentally defective girl of classmates, an approach to an experience in high school. The worried, explained how to hurt the feelings of behavior and how he placed the school wall. The surprise of its surprise, the blow stopped.

“He taught me I could bring me change in words,” he said.

Decades later Mr. Watanabe still has a guy’s cerubic characteristics in a playground, interested in energy and compatibility. However, this was the test and mistake he was entest in Japanese journalism.

In 2000, when he joined the Asay, he had the first excitement of journalism after his work in a television network. He stopped voting with air traffic controllers who were purchased in rural areas and troubles.

In recognition of the rules, Asahi accepted the desire to join a new group created by the newspaper to implement more long-term investigation projects. He loved the freedom to go to the topic, but as he did, he began to continue his own newspaper with resistance.

The newspaper, which is in the so-called press clubs, which is in the so-called press clubs, which is in the offices of the government agencies, took steps in the toes of the journalists. This Asahi correspondent complained about the criticized stories of the group who furious the group, but Mr Watanabe fired them depending on the authorities for information.

In May 2014, the Group published Fukushima Scoop, accused of such as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s rival media and political supporters. In Asahi, the press club built correspondents, nerves, used it. Mr. Watanabe said they were convinced that the newspaper rejected the article after four months to reveal the research group.

In response to the questions, Asahi said that the researcher, led by a different part of the newspaper, said that an updated impetus.

Mr Watanabe joined another ex-Asahi correspondent in the start of the beginning, which first called Waseda Chronicle after a university that supports early. It was noted that it was notified to demonstrate its autonomy – both corporate sponsors and political structures.

“We wanted to show that our readers are with our readers outside the power circle,” said Mr. Watanabe.

In exchange for driving this point to home, a large advertising company competed in the first series of the first items to expose the payments to large news companies in exchange for a large news company.

Since then, Mr. Watanabe demonstrated the deep investigation into most basic media. He published 75 articles in the current series of chemical pollution by a large producer. Insulted in the secondary school in Nagasaki, a suicide reached 48 parts.

A co-founder then remained, Mr. Watanabe, resentment was stuck in a small operation, despite the lack of consideration by reanimoru journalists. Years passed, but Tansa finally begins to finally be distinguished from a media view that dominated by Lirja newspapers and television networks for a long time.

Tansa also recognized abroad, the only investigation from Japan non-profit from Japan A network of global investigation journalismA group of international members of 250.

“Japan is still managed by dried media that does not give any space to other narratists,” he said William HorsleyInternational Director of Media Freedom Center at Sheffield University. “Tansa, an exception that fills the gap.”

Mr Watanabe hopes the employer to reporters that will allow more border cooperation. But at home also sees the clouds of storms on the horizon. As other parts of the world, the right-wing populism and media amazing politicians in Japan are rising to police last year in Kagoshima Raided a small online media After the stories criticizing the investigation.

So in an environment in an environment, “the need will be stronger for a media output that will not give up,” he said.