Recently on Japanese Twitter, the hasthtag #マスゴミ (masugomi) has been trending. A sordid pun on the word マスコミ、(masukomi) short for “mass communication” or “mainstream media” portmanteaued with gomi (ゴミ), or “garbage”, masugomi translates to “lamestream media”.
(For those who prefer to not use the word “lame”, “trash media” is another viable option, especially since it directly references gomi.)
Origins of “Masugomi”
According to pixiv.net, masugomi is a derogatory word that is not meant to be used in public conversation. Rather, it is a critique of the mainstream media in Japan. A quick look at recent #masugomi tweets suggests the word’s only being used in support of soon-to-be former President Trump’s challenge of the election results. But the term’s been around for much longer than that.
The first known usage of the term masugomi was used in the 1966 drama Stray Dog, where one character yells to another, 「お前らマスコミやないわい、マスゴミじゃ!」, which roughly translates to “You guys are lamestream media, trash!”
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One major critique of Japanese media is that news is reported in favor of sponsors, rather than the public. This fosters a solely objective voice in the news, which while theoretically ideal, is not practical when discussing hot-button issues such as human rights.
This can be especially problematic when it comes to politics. A columnist (name unknown) on Mainichi Books discusses how, while a fair critique of the media is necessary for an informed public, its sentiment can also be twisted to alienate and even demonize the press:
嘘つきトランプは「メディアこそ嘘つき!」を連発する。
当選直後、ホワイトハウスのウエストウイングにある記者会見室を隣接する行政府ビルに移す!と言い出した。大統領執務室に嘘つき記者を近づけるな!である。
ホワイトハウス記者会は「記者団の監視の目から大統領や顧問を遠ざけるいかなる行為にも強く反対する」と反発、大騒ぎになった。
結局、そのままになったが、この一事を取っても、権力側とメディアの相互不信は根強い。
日本でも、同じようなことが起こった。「記者のトイレは別室にしろ!」論争である。
2020年に予定される「横浜市新市庁舎整備」を巡り、米軍基地対策などを担う市政策局が、「一般と記者用のトイレを分けるべきだ」と主張していたのだ。記者室が、市政策局と同じ階にあり、トイレで出入り業者などが交わした会話が取材の端緒になる「おそれ」がある!というのだ。
そんなバカな!と記者たちは怒ったようだが……ここにも、権力側とメディアの相互不信が見え隠れする。
In a twist of irony, Trump–who is a liar–cries, “The media is fake!”
Immediately after he won [the election], he proclaimed that the press conference room in the West Wing of the White House will be moved to the next government building over. “Keep liars away from the White House!” was the name of the game.
Despite this, the press conference room stayed put. But the deep-seated distrust between the government and the media was undeniable.
The same thing happened here in Japan, during the “Reporters Should Have Separate Bathrooms” controversy.
While [Yokohama’s] City Policy Bureau discussed the New City Development, the bureau–who is in charge of US military matters–insisted that reporters should have separate bathrooms from the general public, to prevent the latter from being badgered into an interview as they left the toilet.
How absurd! And of course, members of the press were angry when they heard this…but just like anywhere else, the tension between the powers that be and the media ebbs and flows.
–The “Reporters Should Have Separate Bathrooms” Controversy and Distrust of the Media, Mainichi Books, May 21, 2020
Valid Critiques of Japanese Media
Suffice to say, I have my own misgivings about Japanese media, especially when it comes to reporting on marginalized groups abroad. To make matters even more dubious, press clubs, which are supposed to relay breaking news as quickly as possible, are often curated funnels of the tightly-controlled mainstream press.
On top of that, rather than attempt to tell a variety of stories, reporters in Japan are racing to be the first to break the news, without putting their own spin on the topic. This results in a bunch of different media outlets reporting on the same story, melting every article and byline into one giant news slurry:
Japan’s schools and lifetime employment systems are partly to blame. Schools fail to encourage students to take risks. Once hired by a newspaper, few reporters ever change jobs. Careers advance by passage of time and risk avoidance. “Reporters may wish to dig deeper into a story,” says [Shiro Segawa, a professor of political science and economics at Waseda University and a former deputy managing editor at the Mainichi Shimbun]. “However, the system prevents that.”
-Richard Solomon, “Media collaborators threaten press freedom in Japan”, Japan Times, June 10, 2020
It has yet to been seen whether the term masugomi speaks truth to power, or breeds further apathy. For the time being, it’s always best to consume news and even its detractors, with a critical eye.