INTERVIEW: Journalist Calls for More Women to Help Define News Value

Yokohama, March 18 (Jiji Press)–Risa Akiyama, representative director of the Japan Women Journalists Association, believes more women should be involved in determining what constitutes news value in Japan, so that perspectives different from those of men are better reflected. “Even when looking at the same facts, men and women may perceive them differently,” Akiyama, 59, said during an interview in February. “It is precisely the media, which report news every day, that need to change.” The association, or JWJA, a general incorporated association established in 2024, is working on initiatives including support for the career advancement of female journalists. Akiyama, now a senior official at the Kanagawa Shimbun, was inspired to help found the association about four years ago, when she was serving as the newspaper publisher’s managing editor. The idea took shape after she attended a meeting of managing editors from newspaper companies and other media organizations. Of the participants from several dozen companies, only two were women–Akiyama among them. “I felt that the media were overwhelmingly driven by men,” she recalled. According to a survey by the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association, women accounted for 26.6 pct of reporters at newspapers and news agencies as of April 2025. However, women held only 10.8 pct of managerial positions and 5.7 pct of executive posts at those organizations. Akiyama said the experience deepened her awareness of a fundamental question: “Are we really delivering news that meets diverse needs?” Around that time, she attended an exchange event in South Korea organized by the Korean Women Journalists Association, which brought together participants from various news organizations. At the event, held in the autumn of 2023, she learned that since its establishment in 1961, the KWJA had continuously worked on initiatives such as training programs for women journalists. Drawing on what she learned, Akiyama wanted to establish a similar organization in Japan. In November 2024, she founded the JWJA, together with five female journalists from other news organizations who had participated in the same event. Through monthly study meetings, the members continued to exchange views, and in November last year, they held a commemorative forum in Tokyo to mark the association’s founding. At the forum, the JWJA released the results of a survey conducted among about 270 female journalists in Japan. Regarding opportunities for promotion, 45.8 pct of respondents said that male reporters have more opportunities, while only 1.4 pct said that female reporters have more. The JWJA plans to launch training programs aimed at developing women for managerial roles. “Becoming a manager comes with greater responsibility, but it also broadens the scope of what you can decide for yourself and makes the work more rewarding,” Akiyama said. “I want to connect with more women journalists in Japan, share concerns and experiences, and continue to raise our voices.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]