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Media Internationalism

Jun 18, 2014Canadian, World News

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Preparation
CONSIDER

How often do you watch the news?

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Transcript
José: How can you be international in a country in Japan, growing up as a Japanese student when (mm-hmm) at least it seems to me, and probably seems to you, it seems to most of our expatriate friends that news media in Japan itself doesn’t really have an international mind.

Alex: Mm, right. Can you think of examples? Uh…

José: I I’ll just give you a really quick couple of examples. One right now, um Syria. (yeah) What’s going on with the Syrian government (mm-hmm) and their attempts to stop the the rebel army that’s trying to overthrow the government because the rebel army was created uh, when they were just completely dissatisfied uh with their government; accused it of torture and and and and non-democratic action. Uh, this came out of the Arab Spring. And now Syria is a really important country if it actually turns over from what was a stable but dictatorial regime to something that’s democratic but potentially more religiously oriented, (mm-hmm) and cannot be easily controlled by the major powers. That was not at all well reported in Japan. Now “well reported”, (yeah) let me define that, (yeah) means that, it’s timely, i.e. that when it begins to happen it’s reported immediately. (Mm-hmm) It’s reported with depth. (Yes) So you know who the actors are, you know what the motivations for the groups are. And (mm-hmm) and it’s rep- reported consistently. It’s not just once in a while. You know, you don’t- you don’t get like just 30 seconds once in a while because a great big bomb blew up and killed the ambassador of whatever country in Syria. And unfortunately that’s the way I see how uh Japanese media does something like that. And one more example is the Haitian earthquake. Do you remember that (Yes) a couple of years ago? (Yes) my students didn’t know anything about it. (Really?) For- yeah, for the first three days had no idea it happened. (Really?) Yeah, really sad.

Alex: Wow, when the tsunami hit Japan uh, in March, 2011 the whole world knew about it. (Exactly) Of course it’s a bigger disaster, but… well but actually…

José: Well that’s that’s that’s pretty tough to to you know, swallowa certain result or outcome is unbearable, saddening, or disappointing. (2:18) when you’re a Haitian mother visiting the graves of her son and daughter every week uh, about what was the nature of a bigger disaster or not, you know.

Alex: Yeah, I think you’re right. (Right?) I think you’re right.

José: Numbers? Yeah okay, if you’re going topronounced quickly sounds like “GUNNA”. (2:35) be a raw statistician, it was a bigger disaster. But, in terms of tragedy and what we’re supposed to be doing with internationalization…

Alex: Yeah that’s- it’s uh. So I was guilty of it there myself, right? Uh, looking at the numbers for a moment.

José: And that’s an interesting point. (mm-hmm) Um we find it very easy to point fingers, (mm-hmm, yes) But to what degree do you think, we ourselves don’t do enough to think internationally? (Oh, good question) Do you think do you think you’re a fairly international guy?

Alex: Oh, it depends on what you mean by “international”. But…

José: Use your definition.

Alex: But uh, I- in general I don’t know I don’t know what I would say means internationally minded, uh but I suppose I’m internationally minded. Uh, how is that? Hmm (Mm) Having a knowledge of various countries, uh not just your own country, but uh, countries around the world. Can you identify every country in the world on the map? Well, I don’t think I can.

José: No, I couldn’t either. I couldn’t either.

Alex: That’s- so, I have trouble identifying all the countries in Africa still.

José: Oh no, I would lose. I would lose on that.

Consolidation
DISCUSSION

Do you ever read International news sources?

Does the International media report on Japanese issues well?

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Speakers

José Domingo Cruz image

José Domingo Cruz

Canadian

Vancouver, British Columbia

Alex Bodnar Image

Alex Bodnar

Canadian

Harriston, Ontario


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40 Comments

  1. I think Japan’s people should see news more
    I also don’t see news on TV every day
    So I start see news every day first
    And I will have more international information from TV and web site

    Reply
  2. I thought japanese media reports true and all over the world news. That’s why I’m suprised NHK that ”for the first three days had no idea …” I shoud learn more japanese media.

    Reply
  3. I think,Japanese media is more report about international news.
    I want to know about world news.

    Reply
  4. I don’t watch news everyday.
    Of couse,I don’t know about World’snews.
    However,I think would like to know about world happened.

    Reply
  5. I think that foreign countries news are few in Japan.Japanese media should report many other countries happening.I want to read newspaper many time.

    Reply
  6. I read this paper and I thought that I don’t understand well about international what happened.Also most Japanese too.So we need get other countries information ourselves.

    Reply
  7. I don’t like Japanese media,because I think that it is not report important thing.Japanese media should report more important things.

    Reply
  8. I’m interested in interenational news ,but it’s difficult for me.
    I must study more hard to understand interenational news.

    Reply
  9. Idon’t read newspaper at all.But reading newspaper helps me know about the world.So I try to read it by going to the library in my university.

    Reply
  10. I don’t know the fact Japan didn’t report about Haitian earthquick on three days.I want to turn interest about foreign country,so I’ll watch news from now on.

    Reply
  11. I have not ever thought about this problem.
    I will try to watch from now on.

    Reply
  12. I do not feel the media on japan does not issue well about international things.
    Because they say little things about it.

    Reply
  13. I watch news everyday,so I thought that I watch other countries reports. However, I listen to your opinion, and I think we need to think about everything every day.

    Reply
  14. I did not know that Japanese media doesn’t report what happened all over the world immediately.
    So,I am surprise and I want to know that reason.

    Reply
  15. I think Japanese people need to acquire watch media,

    so,I don’t have custom of watch media.

    At first,I try watch yahoo news.

    Reply
  16. I didn’t think about japanese media.Japanese media have many problem but japanese people too.We should change ourselves at first.

    Reply
  17. I did’t know that the Japanese media doesn’t report on international issues well until I read this paper.

    Reply
  18. Japanese media report about cherry blossoms flowering time, arasi’s live. So I think japanese media doesn’t report about what happened all over the world.

    Reply
  19. I should be interested in news and have own idea about news and Japanese media’s problem .

    Reply
  20. I watch the news everyday,but I don’t watch the newspaper.
    I want to watch the newspaper,becouse it can know the many news all over the world.

    Reply
  21. I didn’t like watching news. However,I think I should watch it.

    Reply
  22. I want to be a newspaper writter,so I interested in this discussion.
    Japanes media should do effort.

    Reply
  23. I think that it is important to know about international news. I will try to watch the news everyday.

    Reply
  24. I think there are few Japanese people who are interested in international news.
    However, foreign people know international news well.
    Japanese people should try to know international news.

    Reply
  25. I don’t like to read newspaper,but I know that it is important for us to read it.So I thought I try to read it if I have a chance.

    Reply
  26. There are few Japanese students reading news paper ,me too.
    Therefor we can not say about news.we should be interesting in news.

    Reply
  27. I am not intrested in things in other countries. However,I think getting information about other countries is very important and helpful in the future. I want to watch TV news everyday.

    Reply
  28. I didn’t think about this probrem.To know the world more, I want to read newspaper and watch the TV news.

    Reply
  29. I don’t read the news papers,but I watch TV news.
    I think that Japanese media sometimes reporting not important things.
    I think more important news that we must know all of the world.

    Reply
  30. I think Japanese media is don’t internationally , because it often tells Japanese news for us.

    Reply
  31. I think Japanese media should report more important things and Japanese people should be interested in the world.

    Reply
  32. Today I was konw the important of news ,we can learn a lot of things and we can know the ideas of governments.If we can know more than the others ,we will be more powerful than others.And when we become the master of world in the future, we can make the world become better.

    Reply
  33. I read International news by internet site of NHK. That news is written English, so I can study English. However I read it sometimes, and I think that I read it every day.

    Reply
  34. I knew that Japanese don’t know foreign news.
    I think Japanese should know news about foreign countries.

    Reply
  35. I hardly read a newspaper, but I think that reading a newspaper is very important.
    Japanese media should inform world news.

    Reply
  36. I sometimes watch the news programs,but I don’t read the newspapers.I should make positive efforts to know international news.

    Reply
  37. I usually don’t read a newspaper,so I don’t know what happen in the world.However I should know about all over the world.I want to read newspaper in the future.

    Reply
  38. Do you think why does some countries many peoples join a danger army?
    Japanese medians tells few international news for our,so we can not have the truth.

    Reply
  39. I didn’t think TV is lying until I came to Japan two years ago.I don’t want to believe TV anymore,because Japan on TV is different from what I see.

    Reply
  40. First, I did not know that the Japanese media did not cover the world much. So I was very surprised. I used to think that Japanese media would inform the world situation soon. Frankly speaking, it is very shocking. I did not know much about the world. If I know it is a little. I am very shocked. But I am very lucky to know this. Because I was able to understand the current situation. I think the Japanese media should inform more about the world. to us. Because the media conveys what happened. So, from now on, I will avoid watching only Japanese media. To know the world, it is not good to look only at Japanese media. I wanted to see and see the world media. If I understand the situation in the world, I think my way of thinking will spread. It is very exciting. I’m looking forward.

    Reply

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