Japan's news outlets weigh in on Jumpei Yasuda's culpability in Syria kidnapping

[TomSea]

Japan's news outlets weigh in on Jumpei Yasuda's culpability in Syria kidnapping | The Japan Times   Philip Brasor

Freelance reporter Jumpei Yasuda gave a three-hour news conference at the Japan National Press Club on Nov. 2 about his hostage ordeal, describing in detail how he was kidnapped after entering Syria in 2015 and then held for more than three years. He also discussed the situation in the Middle East and why it was important for Japan to know about what was happening in the region.

However, many people seemed only interested in one thing — whether Yasuda would apologize to the government and the public for putting himself in harm’s way. As expected, based on past hostage incidents involving Japanese nationals, when Yasuda was released last month, the news was met with criticism of his “personal responsibility” (jiko sekinin). The government discourages individuals and groups, including those involved in news-gathering activities, from working in conflict areas, its message being that anyone who does go to such a place is responsible for whatever happens to them, which presumably means they’re on their own. Of course, the government is expected to do everything in its power to help Japanese who get into trouble overseas, but victims of kidnapping and the like typically face fierce resentment in Japan when they’re freed because they are seen to have flouted official directives for self-serving reasons.

A Canadian man who was also recently held captive in Syria explained to Kyodo News that he, too, was roundly condemned after his release by people who said he “deserved” what he suffered, but the main difference between this man and Yasuda is that the former is not a journalist. Yasuda received condemnation not only from the Japanese public, but from some in the Japanese media — that is, his own profession.

Read more at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/11/10/national/media-national/japans-news-outlets-weigh-jumpei-yasudas-culpability-syria-kidnapping/#.W-g0sx9Rd20

Journalists need to cover wars but it is a valid question on whether it is reckless behavior to go into places like the Syrian war where clearly, most of the players are pretty bad people and the environment seems lawless. One wants to get the truth out but.... after 2014, Syria at least, probably became too hot of a war to cover. Iraq, all or part as well from 2014 or so on. Just my 2 cents.

So, in the end, it's kind of subjective when a journalist should be bold to cover a war. Central America in the 1980s?  DR Congo?  And so on.  But that in Syria has been a bad place to be and I think, journalists have largely been staying away, besides ISIS, the regime government is mostly hostile to Westerners.

[Sanguine]

Yasuda wanted to convey to the Japanese public, in their own language and in terms that made sense to them, why the Syrian civil war was creating so many refugees. Toru Tamakawa, a regular commentator on TV Asahi’s “Shinichi Hatori Morning Show,” said that journalists safeguard “democracy” by bringing to light the issues of the moment and, in that regard, Yasuda should be welcomed home as a “hero.”

[TomSea]

As a personal note, this is off-topic but it's not a  , it's on-topic as far as covering journalists in war zones.

I know of two movies where the subject is journalists covering foreign wars, one is "underfire", despite some sublime leftwing underpinnings, not a bad movie with Nick Nolte and Gene Hackman:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V_nyaLxEIQ



And overall, I'd say PG, not too intense like some movies.

"Killing Fields" too, was decent. I'm not sure if the underlying leftist influences are too intense for that movie again. Then, the Oliver Stone produced "Salvador" as well is another movie of journalists going into war zones.

Personally, I think "Underfire" zigzagged into some unbelievable territory. Most movies or even all, have some of that. I'll have to rewatch it again.

It was ER that had that one season with episodes in the Congo, that war really doesn't have anyone's dog in the fight per left and right. There is that Kony character but.... that really seems something only the fringe talks about.

Unless, embedded with the military, no one should be fooling around in Syria.