nuclear-news

the Japanese media which for years accepted TEPCO’s advertising cash in exchange for compromising their journalistic integrity……TEPCO used hundreds of millions to silence any possible media criticism of the company and nuclear power. 

TEPCO media strategy questioned ABC Radio A.M. Toney Eastley, Mark Willacy reported this story on  October 5, 2011 

Last year, before the meltdowns at Fukushima the company spent $350 million on advertising and promotion, much of it to massage its message that nuclear power is safe

KENJI NAKANISHI: For newspaper companies and TV companies TEPCO is one of the biggest clients.

MARK WILLACY: Kenji Nakanishi is a member of the Japanese Diet, or parliament. He’s a leading member of the opposition Your Party.

During parliamentary investigations he questioned TEPCO’s former president about the company’s vast ad budget.

Mr Nakanishi says it’s clear TEPCO used hundreds of millions to silence any possible media criticism of the company and nuclear power.

KENJI NAKANISHI: If they say something bad about nuclear plants they want make them shut up.

MARK WILLACY: But like other Japanese firms, TEPCO employed other more subtle ways of persuading journalists to see things its way.

Hiroe Kambayashi is a freelance journalist who’s been investigating the company’s manipulation of the mainstream media.

HIROE KAMBAYASHI (translated): They’ll take journalists for tours of their nuclear power plants then the reporters will come back to Tokyo and be entertained at clubs and bars.

The journalists and TEPCO will become very close and the reporters will hesitate to write critical reports about the company or nuclear power. ….

MARK WILLACY: One thing is now clear – TEPCO’s advertising budget will face the same deep cuts as other aspects of its multi-billion dollar operation.

But this disaster should also shake up some sections of the Japanese media which for years accepted TEPCO’s advertising cash in exchange for compromising their journalistic integrity.