2013年10月19日
新聞週間 真実を伝える役割これからも
The Yomiuri Shimbun October 17, 2013
Newspapers’ mission to tell the truth becoming ever more important
新聞週間 真実を伝える役割これからも（10月16日付・読売社説）
The duty of newspapers is to spread the truth, a task essential for honoring the people’s right to know. Sincerely taking this obligation to heart once again, we wish to continue our efforts to write articles that offer analyses from various viewpoints regarding daily events and affairs.
国民の「知る権利」に応え、真実を伝える。新聞の使命を改めてかみしめ、世の中の出来事に様々な角度から分析を加えた記事を、これからも数多く届けたい。
Newspaper Week started Tuesday. This year’s slogan for the week is “Itsuno-himo Shinjitsu-ni Mukiau Kiji-ga Aru” (Every day, there are news stories that pursue the facts). This catchphrase was written by a 17-year-old high school girl.
新聞週間が始まった。今年の代表標語は「いつの日も 真実に 向き合う記事がある」だ。１７歳の女子高校生の作品である。
Some reports by newspapers and other news organizations about the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 drew criticism for their stance on the disaster. Critics said the media did not provide a full picture of the unprecedented calamity. Two years and seven months after the catastrophe, the media is still the subject of argument regarding how they should gather and report the news.
２０１１年の東日本大震災後、新聞などの報道には、未曽有の大災害の全貌を伝え切れていないといった批判があった。２年７か月が経過した現在も、報道の在り方は問われ続けている。
A particularly important task facing the media is to think about how to report the current situation in Fukushima Prefecture, where a nuclear disaster struck in the wake of the quake-triggered tsunami. A large number of residents have been forced to evacuate for extended periods. Some evacuees have complained that giving interviews to the media has done little to improve the situation.
特に、原発事故の影響で、住民の避難生活が長期化している福島の現状をどう伝えるかは、大きな課題である。避難住民の中には「取材に応じても状況は変わらない」などの声がある。
Residents in disaster-hit areas face grave uncertainties about the future of their lives. With this in mind, the media must report news in a manner that would help rehabilitate these areas. This duty could be fulfilled, for example, through articles that provide food for thought about how to make steady progress in decontaminating disaster-affected areas and paying compensation to stricken people for their difficulties, a task that would help them get their lives back on the road to reconstruction.
被災地では、先行きの見えない不安が重くのしかかっている。除染や被害賠償を着実に進めながら、被災者の生活をどう再建していくのか。復興につながる報道が今こそ、必要とされている。
Still the most trusted source
According to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey taken in late September, 86 percent of respondents said newspaper reports can be trusted, an increase of six percentage points from a similar poll conducted a year earlier. The figure was comparable to a level recorded before the great earthquake.
読売新聞が先月末に実施した世論調査では、「新聞の報道を信頼できる」と答えた人は８６％だった。昨年より６ポイント上昇し、東日本大震災前の水準に戻った。
We feel the recovery of trust in newspapers indicates that the public granted the press renewed credit for its efforts to provide readers with accurate information based on news-gathering activities. Undoubtedly, browsing through Internet websites can afford anyone easy access to a huge amount of information. However, a considerable chunk of information available online is open to dispute over its credibility.
新聞の信頼性が回復したのは、取材に裏打ちされた正確な情報提供が再評価されたからではないか。インターネットを検索すれば、多くの情報にアクセスできる時代になったが、真偽が定かでないものも少なくない。
The latest Yomiuri survey included a multiple-response questionnaire regarding which medium respondents felt to be trustworthy in July’s House of Councillors election, for which the legal ban on Net-based campaigning was lifted. Only 2 percent of respondents cited such social media as Twitter and Facebook.
世論調査では、ネットを利用した選挙運動が解禁された７月の参院選で、「信頼できると思ったメディア」を複数回答で尋ねた。「ツイッターやフェイスブックなどのソーシャルメディア」と回答した人は２％にとどまった。
This compared with 59 percent for newspapers. The figure indicated the degree to which voters trust newspapers when it comes to election reporting.
これに対し、新聞は５９％に上った。選挙報道で有権者が新聞に寄せる信頼がうかがえる。
A sizable 89 percent of those surveyed said newspapers would be needed in the future, too. We believe this figure shows readers greatly count on newspapers as a means of credible news reporting.
「新聞は今後も必要だ」と答えた人は８９％に達している。読者の期待の大きさを感じる。
The newspaper industry has insisted the consumption tax rate for newspapers be set at a lower level than that to be imposed on other goods and services when the current 5 percent rate is increased. In some respects, newspapers can be regarded as public property.
新聞業界は、消費税率を低く抑える軽減税率を新聞に適用するよう求めている。新聞には公共財としての側面があるからだ。
Earlier, the Japan Newspapers Publishers and Editors Association asked a panel of experts to advance opinions about the issue. The committee put together a report that said, “Whether a reduced tax rate is applied [to newspapers] is a matter related to Japanese culture and the future of democratic government.”
日本新聞協会が諮問した有識者の研究会は、「軽減税率が適用されるかどうかは、日本の文化や民主政治の将来に関わる問題だ」とする意見書をまとめた。
Newspapers are tasked with uncovering the truth behind possible irregularities committed by the national and local governments while also pressing them to rectify any problems that emerge.
新聞は、国政や地方行政の不正を追及し、問題点の改善を迫る役割を担っている。
We are determined to live up to this obligation by improving the quality of our daily news gathering and reporting.
日々の報道を充実させ、責任を果たしていきたい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 16, 2013)
（2013年10月16日01時32分 読売新聞）
Newspapers’ mission to tell the truth becoming ever more important
新聞週間 真実を伝える役割これからも（10月16日付・読売社説）
The duty of newspapers is to spread the truth, a task essential for honoring the people’s right to know. Sincerely taking this obligation to heart once again, we wish to continue our efforts to write articles that offer analyses from various viewpoints regarding daily events and affairs.
国民の「知る権利」に応え、真実を伝える。新聞の使命を改めてかみしめ、世の中の出来事に様々な角度から分析を加えた記事を、これからも数多く届けたい。
Newspaper Week started Tuesday. This year’s slogan for the week is “Itsuno-himo Shinjitsu-ni Mukiau Kiji-ga Aru” (Every day, there are news stories that pursue the facts). This catchphrase was written by a 17-year-old high school girl.
新聞週間が始まった。今年の代表標語は「いつの日も 真実に 向き合う記事がある」だ。１７歳の女子高校生の作品である。
Some reports by newspapers and other news organizations about the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 drew criticism for their stance on the disaster. Critics said the media did not provide a full picture of the unprecedented calamity. Two years and seven months after the catastrophe, the media is still the subject of argument regarding how they should gather and report the news.
２０１１年の東日本大震災後、新聞などの報道には、未曽有の大災害の全貌を伝え切れていないといった批判があった。２年７か月が経過した現在も、報道の在り方は問われ続けている。
A particularly important task facing the media is to think about how to report the current situation in Fukushima Prefecture, where a nuclear disaster struck in the wake of the quake-triggered tsunami. A large number of residents have been forced to evacuate for extended periods. Some evacuees have complained that giving interviews to the media has done little to improve the situation.
特に、原発事故の影響で、住民の避難生活が長期化している福島の現状をどう伝えるかは、大きな課題である。避難住民の中には「取材に応じても状況は変わらない」などの声がある。
Residents in disaster-hit areas face grave uncertainties about the future of their lives. With this in mind, the media must report news in a manner that would help rehabilitate these areas. This duty could be fulfilled, for example, through articles that provide food for thought about how to make steady progress in decontaminating disaster-affected areas and paying compensation to stricken people for their difficulties, a task that would help them get their lives back on the road to reconstruction.
被災地では、先行きの見えない不安が重くのしかかっている。除染や被害賠償を着実に進めながら、被災者の生活をどう再建していくのか。復興につながる報道が今こそ、必要とされている。
Still the most trusted source
According to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey taken in late September, 86 percent of respondents said newspaper reports can be trusted, an increase of six percentage points from a similar poll conducted a year earlier. The figure was comparable to a level recorded before the great earthquake.
読売新聞が先月末に実施した世論調査では、「新聞の報道を信頼できる」と答えた人は８６％だった。昨年より６ポイント上昇し、東日本大震災前の水準に戻った。
We feel the recovery of trust in newspapers indicates that the public granted the press renewed credit for its efforts to provide readers with accurate information based on news-gathering activities. Undoubtedly, browsing through Internet websites can afford anyone easy access to a huge amount of information. However, a considerable chunk of information available online is open to dispute over its credibility.
新聞の信頼性が回復したのは、取材に裏打ちされた正確な情報提供が再評価されたからではないか。インターネットを検索すれば、多くの情報にアクセスできる時代になったが、真偽が定かでないものも少なくない。
The latest Yomiuri survey included a multiple-response questionnaire regarding which medium respondents felt to be trustworthy in July’s House of Councillors election, for which the legal ban on Net-based campaigning was lifted. Only 2 percent of respondents cited such social media as Twitter and Facebook.
世論調査では、ネットを利用した選挙運動が解禁された７月の参院選で、「信頼できると思ったメディア」を複数回答で尋ねた。「ツイッターやフェイスブックなどのソーシャルメディア」と回答した人は２％にとどまった。
This compared with 59 percent for newspapers. The figure indicated the degree to which voters trust newspapers when it comes to election reporting.
これに対し、新聞は５９％に上った。選挙報道で有権者が新聞に寄せる信頼がうかがえる。
A sizable 89 percent of those surveyed said newspapers would be needed in the future, too. We believe this figure shows readers greatly count on newspapers as a means of credible news reporting.
「新聞は今後も必要だ」と答えた人は８９％に達している。読者の期待の大きさを感じる。
The newspaper industry has insisted the consumption tax rate for newspapers be set at a lower level than that to be imposed on other goods and services when the current 5 percent rate is increased. In some respects, newspapers can be regarded as public property.
新聞業界は、消費税率を低く抑える軽減税率を新聞に適用するよう求めている。新聞には公共財としての側面があるからだ。
Earlier, the Japan Newspapers Publishers and Editors Association asked a panel of experts to advance opinions about the issue. The committee put together a report that said, “Whether a reduced tax rate is applied [to newspapers] is a matter related to Japanese culture and the future of democratic government.”
日本新聞協会が諮問した有識者の研究会は、「軽減税率が適用されるかどうかは、日本の文化や民主政治の将来に関わる問題だ」とする意見書をまとめた。
Newspapers are tasked with uncovering the truth behind possible irregularities committed by the national and local governments while also pressing them to rectify any problems that emerge.
新聞は、国政や地方行政の不正を追及し、問題点の改善を迫る役割を担っている。
We are determined to live up to this obligation by improving the quality of our daily news gathering and reporting.
日々の報道を充実させ、責任を果たしていきたい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 16, 2013)
（2013年10月16日01時32分 読売新聞）
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