Media Monitor

Okinawan Journalism Honored

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Event

Tokyo -- The Japan Congress of Journalists (JCJ) held a function at the Japan National Press Club this afternoon to honor the best of Japanese journalism of the past year.

The two leading awards were bestowed on the Ryukyu Shinpo and the Okinawa Times, both of them in connection with the Futenma airbase relocation story.

The Ryukyu Shinpo's "Futenma Issue" research squad won the award for a series in which they described the 1996 Henoko agreement as a "spell" that needed to be broken. Underlying the spell, according to the series, is "structural discrimination" against the Okinawan people.

The Okinawa Times' "Straying Futenma" research squad also highlighted discrimination against Okinawa. The award was given for clearly articulating the differences between the perceptions and understandings of the Okinawans versus main island Japanese.

Other journalists were honored at the event for articles about subjects such as African resource development and emergency healthcare in Japan.

The JCJ was established in February 1955 with the purpose of "never again using our pens, microphones, or cameras for the sake of war."

This year the organization celebrated its 55th anniversary.


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