Hayashi Kaori, writing for Nippon, has an extensive look at the strong but threatened Japanese newspaper industry. Kaori notes circulation has remained steady, as has the pattern of reading print. Newspapers are strong leaders in their communities and there is a strong home-delivery network. But Kaori argues all of that could change shortly. The changes that have beset the newspaper business in North America and parts of Europe could be coming Japan's way as digital natives move away from the ink-on-paper experience.
The British phone-hacking trial for former News of the World editors is still in its infancy, but there are revelations elsewhere in court of the same vein. Today the High Court released documents that asserted the Mirror Group of papers regularly hacked phones and paid 125 pounds for phone numbers and PINs from private detectives. The newspaper group failed to have the claims dismissed by the court. Lawyers for the claimants suggest they will release evidence of the payments at a later stage in the trial.
The CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes is defending its recent segment on the attack of a U.S. outpost in Benghazi. Reports have suggested the principal subject of its report had embellished his account in a book and to the program well beyond what he told the FBI and his employer. The New York Times reports correspondent Lara Logan said the segment was extensive researched over a period of a year. But CBS did acknowledge it could have noted that the interview subject's book was being published by a CBS subsidiary.