Photo/Illutration The NHK broadcasting center in Tokyo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Last month, during a Chinese-language news segment on Japan Broadcasting Corp.’s (NHK) international radio broadcast, an external Chinese staff member made unscripted comments after reading the news about graffiti at Yasukuni Shrine.

Speaking in Chinese, the newscaster stated that the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture are "Chinese territory," and in English, he said, "Don't forget the Nanking Massacre.”

The Chinese staff member unilaterally expressed personal opinions on matters that should have been carefully considered from various angles within a news context unrelated to those topics. It is problematic that this was allowed to occur.

While NHK's response and information disclosure have been delayed, the public broadcaster should thoroughly investigate how such an unprofessional act of on-air editorial deviation was allowed to occur and make serious efforts to prevent a recurrence.

However, this issue must not be used as a pretext to undermine NHK's editorial independence in broadcasting.

Historically, there has been an excessive expectation that NHK's international broadcasts should serve as a form of international public relations for the government.

NHK's international programming standards stipulate that the service should convey "official views on important national policies and international issues" and that "analyses and commentaries must clarify Japan's position based on fair criticism and viewpoints.”

Additionally, the Broadcast Law includes a provision allowing the minister of internal affairs and communications to “stipulate” broadcasting content concerning "important state policies" and some other categories and “request” NHK to provide international broadcasting of such content.

The government also provides subsidies for these costs.

While NHK retains editorial control, excessive government interference has been avoided. In 2006, however, then Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Yoshihide Suga ordered NHK to provide extensive and focused coverage of the issue of past abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea.

In the past, the then chairman of NHK's Board of Governors remarked that "Japan's national interests should be advocated on issues where interests conflict," and the president of NHK once said, "We cannot say the opposite of what the government says.”

While accurately conveying Japan's positions on important issues overseas is necessary, if NHK is perceived as merely the government’s mouthpiece, it cannot hope to earn the trust and attention that only a truly independent public broadcaster can achieve.

Demonstrating to the world that Japan guarantees freedom of reporting and editing is also significant. The Broadcast Law requires NHK to "clarify the points at issue from as many angles as possible where there are conflicting opinions concerning an issue.”

In a statement expressing its reflections on the incident, the public broadcaster mentioned that "NHK as a whole lacked awareness of the security viewpoint," but brought up the term "security" without fully understanding the motive behind the incident.

This gives the impression that NHK's stance might be overly aligned with that of the government. First, it needs to confront the lax internal system that easily allowed the misuse of the broadcasting platform for unauthorized editorialization.

While the introduction of artificial intelligence voice-overs is being considered to prevent a recurrence, it is hoped that unrelated staff members will not suffer any disadvantages.

To preserve its editorial independence, NHK should take effective measures to prevent a repeat and ensure that staff members will not lose vitality or feel intimidated in any way, not just in the international service section, but also in other divisions as well.

--The Asahi Shimbun Sept. 6