公共メディアとは何か

NHKのインターネット業務および肥大化の議論をめぐって

抄録

This paper considers the “public media” that Japan Broadcasting Corporation （NHK） aims for, the role required of the public media, and the way it should be, based on discussions on the Internet business and the bloat of NHK.

NHK has engaged in the simultaneous distribution of broadcast programs to the Internet, which differs from its original mission, while it faces criticism regarding conducting Internet business based on the fees collected for the purpose of broadcasting. Additionally, NHK has expanded the scale of the group through for-profit projects conducted by related organizations, despite being criticized for its organization’s bloat.

This paper clarifies these problems and highlights the following.

The role of the public media is to fulfill the “journalism mission” of monitoring public authority and providing citizens with information that contributes to the formation of public opinions, not only through broadcasting but also through the Internet. It also compensates for the weaknesses of other media, such as commercial broadcasting.

Conversely, if the management of commercial broadcasters and newspapers becomes difficult due to the bloat of NHK, freedom of speech and the diversity of information may be impaired, leading to restrictions on the people’s right to know.

If NHK continues to expand its Internet business, it needs to provide a compelling explanation to dispel such concerns.