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People in the News
CEO, Japan Internet News
Ken Takeuchi
November 2003
Developing an Alternative Newspaper by and for the People
Developing an Alternative Newspaper by and for the People
A "medium of, by, and for the people" that completely reworks the traditional concept of media - it was with this slogan that Ken Takeuchi launched JanJan, a full-fledged Internet newspaper, in February 2003.
The name "JanJan" stands for "Japan Alternative News for Justices and New Culture" and onomatopoeically represents the sound of an alarm bell being rung as a warning to society. Its basic philosophy being that "every citizen is a journalist," the articles are written on a volunteer basis by 1,100 registered members. The articles are checked by professional editors before they are posted on the Web, and readers can contribute comments of their own, which appear below the article. The online daily covers not only conventional subjects like politics and the economy but also many topics that are close to the everyday lives of people, such as mercury-contaminated tuna, the situation at nursing homes, and the depletion of green spaces in urban areas.
Following a South Korean Model of Success
JanJan is modeled after OhmyNews, a South Korean Internet newspaper. Launched in 2000, OhmyNews has swiftly grown into a presence that challenges established media, scoring such coups as an exclusive interview of Roh Moo-hyun shortly before his assumption of the South Korean presidency. Its huge success is said to have come from the high rate of broadband Internet access in the country and the assertive nature of South Koreans.
JanJan's prospects similarly hinge on how much active participation it can win from citizens, but "Japanese are not skilled at voicing their opinions," notes Takeuchi. "We do have a disadvantage compared to South Korea in that respect, but we need to create a new society centered on young people."
One of the problems with much of the information floating on the Web is its anonymity. All too often, it is hard to tell who is writing the material and on what basis, making the information unreliable. Takeuchi believes that undergoing editing and publication through a medium like JanJan can ensure to society the reliability even of articles written under pseudonyms.
Changing the Media, Changing Readers
After working for many years as a reporter for the Asahi Shimbun and later as a member of its editorial board, Ken Takeuchi served two terms as the mayor of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, for eight years from 1993. Since his days as a journalist, he has harbored strong doubts about the state of the Japanese media and voiced his criticisms from within the establishment. "The media, too, are entangled in the structure of collusion among the political, bureaucratic, and business worlds and have become incapable of speaking out freely. This fact is symbolized by the press club system and the system that prevents retailers from discounting published works," he says. During his tenure as mayor of Kamakura, Takeuchi made news by abolishing the city's press club.
JanJan currently operates exclusively on its own capital, without inserting any advertisements. Access rates have steadily grown to 100,000 page views per day, with 10,000 visitors daily - 50 times more than in February, when the site was launched. But Takeuchi remains modest, saying, "We intend to work without worrying about profits for the first three years to make JanJan into a legitimate medium." He plans to solicit advertisements when access rates have increased to 10 times current levels and JanJan has been recognized by society as an accomplished medium. "If we tried to, it would be possible to write sensationalistic articles like weekly magazines to win readers, but we hope to stick with a serious approach."
On the occasion of the House of Representatives election held in November, JanJan set up a feature page of information and articles about electoral districts nationwide, taking full advantage of the properties of the Web. Although he felt that the interest of readers was high, "Sadly, young Japanese aren't interested in politics or elections," he notes. "But we don't want to turn our eyes away from this important subject. We need to face the issue head-on and, on top of that, come up with ways to somehow make these young people interested [in politics]."
Contact information:
Japan Internet News
Phone: 03-5216-2030
E-mail:janjan@janjan.jp
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