Selling the news in Japan

PUBLISHED: 26 Jan 2016

Newspaper sales and the press in Japan. This paper looks at how the way newspapers are sold in Japan has a significant (negative) effect on the ability of the press to carry out its role as a political 'watchdog'.

ABSTRACT

Japan’s daily national newspapers have not undergone the drastic decline in circulation seen in other areas of the developed world, such as the UK and North America. Indeed, they seem to be putting up strong resistance against the encroachments of alternative, internet-based news sources. The tendency has been to explain this resilience by citing such factors as high levels of literacy and a ‘thirst for the written word’ and so on. This paper offers an alternative explanation; through an overview of the idiosyncratic nature of the mechanics of newspapers sales in Japan it is argued that an understanding of the nature of the home-delivery and sales network must be at the root of any explanation of the apparent success of Japan’s newspaper publishers in hanging on to subscribers. Further, it is argued that an understanding of the newspaper sales business also casts important light on the relationship between politics and the press in Japan.

Status

Currently rewriting.

Other relevant material

If this sounds interesting then you should also probably read this recent article:

Villi, M. and Hayashi, K. (2015). “The mission is to keep this industry intact” Digital transition in the Japanese newspaper industry. Journalism Studies. Article link

ABSTRACT

Status

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