米軍基地問題とマスコミ報道

60年安保時から今日までの基地報道の変遷について

抄録

　While some state that“ the Tokyo-based national media pay little attention

to issues relating to U.S. military bases in Okinawa,” the conservatives argue

that the coverage of local media in Okinawa is unfair, focusing only on protests

against the stationing of the U.S. army. The gap between the national media

with headquarters in Tokyo and the Okinawa-based local media was created by

the different histories of both sides after the Pacific War. When the campaign

against the proposed revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty surged in 1960,

the U.S. government acted not only on Japanese political and business leaders,

but also on the media to maneuver the silencing of criticism against the treaty

revision. They also moved their military bases from the Japanese mainland to

Okinawa and turned the eyes of the majority of Japanese citizens away from

issues concerning the treaty. Although the severe suppression of dissidents was

enforced in U.S.-occupied Okinawa, an immense surge of movement towards

the reversion of Okinawa to Japan took place and the 20-year-long struggle of

mass media in Okinawa against suppression resulted in their winning the freedom

of speech. While the local media have continued to protest against the concentration

of U.S. military bases that have persisted even after Okinawa’s

reversion to Japan in 1972, the Tokyo-based national mass media pays little

attention to issues related to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty due to the effective

maneuvers of both the government of the United States and that of Japan to

hide the military-related issues between the two nations. It is still unforeseeable

that the gap between the local and national media will be narrowed.

　　The intensifying confrontation between the Shinzo Abe Cabinet and the

Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Takeshi Onaga, as well as the heated political

argument concerning national security legislation, have stimulated anew the

interests of the Tokyo-based national media in the issues of the relocation of

Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. While the Abe Cabinet tries to forcefully

build a new military base in the Henoko coastal area in compensation for the

Air Station Futenma as proof of the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. military

alliance, the local Governor continues to appeal against the national government’s

plans. Media regarded as liberal are especially becoming more attentive to thevoices of people in Okinawa than they were before. The Abe Cabinet, however,

has put pressure on the media to manipulate its coverage, and it seems that the

approach of“ guessing the will of the Cabinet and hesitating to irritate them” is

beginning to prevail, which affects media coverage.