"Journalism of the 'Voiceless': How to Scoop Up Minority Opinions"
Writer Profile
Akira Tanaka
Other : Full-time Lecturer, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jissen Women's UniversityÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ alumni
Akira Tanaka
Other : Full-time Lecturer, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jissen Women's UniversityÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ alumni
How can we mediate the subjective "voiceless voices" that are submerged and scattered in the depths of society, create solidarity, and influence society? How can this gain legitimacy in a mass society? In this book, I have attempted to reposition the practice of journalism from these perspectives.
While I was a student at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, my interest lay in the fact that ambiguous and personal experiences, such as developmental disabilities, were not brought to the table of public debate. I felt an increasing sense of discomfort that issues excluded within the value systems created by social structures were being discussed as isolated, specific matters. Instead, I felt there was a need for cross-cutting political practices where people facing various "difficulties in living" could interact with each other and challenge society. When I held such an awareness of the issues, I noticed a welfare program called "Heart Net TV," which is one of the case studies in this book. By using the phrase "difficulty in living" in an impressive way, it attempts to express various subjective experiences as something shareable and send a message to society. This book aims to re-examine journalism through such cultural practices.
In the process, I also came to think about the legitimacy of journalistic practice. Like the eugenics ideology seen in the Sagamihara stabbings at a care home for people with disabilities, the blueprint for liberation where "anyone can speak out to society" has been swallowed up by hegemonic platforms. Consequently, instead of "what is right," "what feels natural and plausible" (authenticity) has come to the fore.
Faced with this "anything goes" situation, this book seriously considers the contradictions that arise when attempting to adopt a strategy of competing on the field of "authenticity" based on the relationship between popular cultural practices and journalism.
Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to publish this book with the support of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Academic Publication Fund. I would like to express my gratitude for being able to publish my research results through ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, which has helped me in so many ways.
Akira Tanaka
ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Press
288 pages, 3,520 yen (tax included)
*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.