4, 19. 2006
In Japan, still only a small number of bloggers and small-scale net news-sites call on firms to ask for permission for news coverage. The results of the survey, however, showed that the firms are concerned with them as to how to treat them.
Bloggers begin to cover companies sometimes in the U.S.
Most of those surveyed replied, "unprecedented" to the question on whether or not there have been bloggers or net tnews-sites that requested for permission for news coverage.
Some of the replies were:
"There are examples of posting received inquiries on the net as investors" (Cybozu)
"Not from the bloggers, but we have received phone calls from net-news making inquiries." (Softbank)
"Request come often from mail magazines for permission for news coverage." (TV Tokyo)
From these replies, it is certain that firms in Japan are not receiving so many news coverage proposals from bloggers and net-news as those in the United States.
Main Reason for Some Firms' Refusing to Reply to Survey
Japanese firms, however, seem to be wondering about ways to treat the bloggers and small-scale net-news. This was indicated by such replies as: "Net-news are treated as media. News releases are given to them if they request." (Cybozu), and "People in charge of public relations would appropriately handle net-news matters. We do not disregard the bloggers and small-scale net-news. If they request for information, we respond to them after through checks." (Softbank)
As news gathering by the net journalist is still in its dawning stage, 25 firms and other organizations refrained from replying to the survey by saying, "We would like to refuse to reply for now," "It's difficult to reply," or "Allow us to make no comment." It is conceivable that the major reason for their not replying to the survey was that they were unable to decide what stance to take in getting along with the bloggers and net-news. "We would like to choose not to reply to the survey. The reason is that how to treat the bloggers, etc. is not something for us to answer," said Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. in reply. The reason why they could not reply was unclear. What the firms truly feel, however, seems that they would like to accept the bloggers and net-news. But they feel at the same time that they might have problems if too many bloggers and net-news reporters rush in asking for information. There were, however, some firms that seemed to be taking a stance to the contrary. They said that they feared they might be put under fire of criticisms on the net if they made their stance clear that they would not accept the bloggers and would refuse to give them information. They said this was the reason for saying, "No comment" to the survey. KDDI said the problem was it was difficult to distinguish the bloggers from ordinary individuals.
Big Businesses and Major Mass Communication Companies Don't Recognize
Moreover, some of the firms surveyed said: "We do not recognize the blogs and small-scale net-news as mass media. In case such groups come to us requesting for information, we refuse to give them any reply in writing. Most we can do is to give them vague ideas over telephone." (a reply from a major electric machinery maker) This reply seems to represent big businesses in general.
Most negative among the big businesses in replying to the survey were leading newspapers and TV stations. Except for TV Tokyo, they gave the following replies to the survey:
"No request from the bloggers for information in the past." (Tokyo Broadcasting System)
"The questionnaires contain something that makes it difficult to reply, and we would like to pass." (The Yomiuri Shimbun)
"We cannot reply." (TV Asahi)
"We would rather not reply for now." (The Asahi Shimbun)
"We would rather not reply for now." (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun)
"Although there have been a few inquiries from bloggers, the number is so small that it is not worth counting. As collecting information is based on the human relations between the individuals, it is difficult to make a sweeping statement." (Fuji Television Network)
As shown above, no reply could be received to any of the questionnaires from major newspaper or television companies. There may be high barriers for the bloggers to access to firms for collecting information, and there are still not much of precedence for them to make visits or calls at the firms for inquiries. But it may also be the case that the importance of the existence of the bloggers and net-news is still not recognized on the part of the major mass communications companies.
The question items and their contents are as follow:
1. Have the bloggers and small-scale net news-sites ever requested your permission to collect information? If any, would you let us know, so long as it causes you no inconvenience, what they wanted, their methods of collecting information, and their attitudes.
2. Do you treat the bloggers and small-scale net news-sites as part of mass media? If you do, would you give us specific examples. If you avoid them, give us the reason/s and criteria for doing so.
3. Do you distribute your news release among the bloggers and small-scale net new-sites?
4. Do "reporters" from the blogs and net news-sites attend press conference you give? If they do not, do you plan to let them attend in the future?
5. Do you know of anyone who is not a journalist but have influence as blogger? Let us know, if you do, about specific examples in the industry your company belongs to.
6. In the United States, there are more and more occasions where information wanted to be divulged to the public are given to the well known bloggers but not to major mass media companies. Could this be thought to happen in case of your company? How about in the futures?
