What is the editorial power of media that builds trust with readers in the age of information explosion? (Part 1)

In an era overflowing with information where anyone can become a publisher, how should media edit and disseminate information to earn readers' trust?

This article features: - Takeshi Yamawaki, Director of SmartNews Media Lab, who has observed media evolution as a journalist - Shota Tajima, CEO of StoryHub Inc. and Visiting Researcher at SmartNews Media Lab, with deep expertise in AI and data-driven media operations - Taira Fuse-kawa, Executive Media & Digital Director at Dentsu Inc. Media & Content Transformation Division (MCx Division), gathered together. With Yuko Yoshiba, Chief Branding/Culture Officer at Dentsu Japan, as facilitator, they discussed editorial skills in the age of information explosion, media neutrality, and the proper way to disseminate information to improve society.

All information is "edited"—what is editorial power?

Yoshiha: Before we begin the discussion, please introduce yourselves.

Yamawaki: I worked at The Asahi Shimbun for 34 years. I spent a relatively long time in the Economics Department, but I was also involved in investigative reporting and participated in launching "Asahi Shimbun GLOBE," a separate publication that values diverse perspectives. From 2013 to 2017, I served as Bureau Chief in the United States, covering the presidential election where Mr. Trump was first elected. Witnessing the spread of fake news and the deepening divisions within the U.S. during that time sparked my interest in public opinion surveys and media literacy education. I joined SmartNews five years ago and currently serve as Director of the Media Research Institute, engaged in research and practice related to public opinion surveys and literacy education.

Tajima: After joining SmartNews in my early twenties and later becoming independent, I've been involved in supporting the growth of web media through data analysis. Currently, I serve as a visiting researcher at the SmartNews Media Research Institute and, as CEO of StoryHub Inc., develop and operate an editorial assistant utilizing generative AI.

Fuse: After joining Dentsu, I was seconded to IPG Inc., which operates an electronic program guide service, for about 16 years, serving as its representative director. After returning to Media Services / Radio,TV Division, I am now part of an organization called MCx at Dentsu Inc., which drives transformation in media, sports, and entertainment businesses.

Yoshiha: Today, we want to discuss how companies and organizations should communicate information in this era of information explosion. First, Mr. Yamawaki, what are your thoughts on the significance of "editing skills" in the SNS era?

Yamawaki: When teaching media literacy, the first thing I emphasize is that "all information is curated." While mass media is often criticized for "selectively curating convenient parts to manipulate perceptions," fundamentally, we all curate and edit information daily. For example, it's natural to talk about a friend's good points when discussing rumors about someone you like, and to focus on their bad points when talking about someone you dislike. That, too, is a form of editing. Given this premise, what is required of the media is to gather information from multiple perspectives and edit it as fairly as possible. In this era of information overload, our "editing skills" are truly being put to the test.

Yoshiha: In your career as a reporter, Yamawaki-san, have you ever had an experience where your editing skills were truly tested?

Yamawaki: I think it was tested from start to finish. When I interviewed someone and wrote an article about them, I never looked back and thought it was perfect. It's hard to be objective about your own work. I've heard acquaintances praise other journalists' interview articles, saying things like, "They captured more than I had even thought about myself. That's the mark of a true professional." A skilled reporter can draw out ideas the interviewee might have considered but couldn't articulate, then structure them effectively. This creates a deep article where the interviewee discovers new facets of themselves. On the other hand, I've also encountered cases where interviewees got angry, saying, "My words were taken out of context, and the article misrepresented my intentions." The quality of the interview and its output (the article) varies greatly depending on the reporter's skill.

I often compare creating interview articles to building with LEGO. If you think of the actual words spoken by the interviewee as LEGO blocks, the job of the reporter or editor is to draw them out and assemble them. Depending on how you assemble them, they can become an airplane or a monster. That's where the difference in editing skills becomes apparent.

Yoshiwa: When assembling the blocks—that is, editing the information—what key points should one keep in mind?

Yamawaki: First, if you don't have interesting information—the LEGO blocks themselves—you can't build anything. Your priority is to draw out as many blocks as possible from the interviewee within the allotted interview time. For that, thorough preparation beforehand is paramount. If the person has written books, you should read them before the interview. This principle applies not just to interviews but also to business negotiations. The quality of a business meeting changes based on how thoroughly you research the other company or the person you're meeting with, right?

It's also crucial to formulate hypotheses beforehand about the direction of the article and where to dig deeper, preparing questions aligned with those hypotheses. However, you mustn't cling rigidly to preconceived hypotheses; flexibility is essential. If an unexpectedly interesting story develops, abandoning your initial hypothesis and digging deeper into that often leads to a better article. Fairness is also vital. While it's possible to craft an article using only the parts that suit the reporter's ideology or beliefs (by selectively cutting information), that cannot be called a fair article.

How can you gain page views without betraying readers' expectations?

Yoshiha: Next, I'd like to pose the question to Mr. Tajima: "Is page view supremacy inherently bad?"

Tajima: When I produce and operate media, I focus on balancing three core capabilities: content editing strength, audience base development, and business model construction. Until a few years ago, the business model relied on expanding the audience base—increasing readers and viewers—to generate revenue through clicks on free ads. Therefore, the primary demand was to boost PVs and create content specifically for that purpose.

However, the strategy of "PV = Number of Articles × Impressions × CTR (Click-Through Rate)" inevitably reaches its limits. Blindly increasing the number of articles reduces the cost per article, potentially lowering quality. Even if you try to increase article exposure, the distribution channels for news articles in Japan are limited. And if you use sensational headlines to boost click-through rates, you risk losing reader trust.

Therefore, I proposed setting a reader-centric KPI: "PV = Number of Readers × Visit Frequency × Page Views per Visit." This approach would increase the number of frequent visitors, allowing PV to grow without betraying readers. So, my answer to the earlier question is: "Depending on how PV is broken down, PV supremacy can be either good or bad."

Yoshiwa: You mentioned the keyword "without betraying readers." What do you prioritize to earn that trust?

Tajima: Two things. First, we need to define our target readers more precisely. For example, "women in their 20s" is too broad; you can't see the real picture. So we need to segment them finely: "Working women in their 20s who take the train at this time in the morning and think about this. If we design a compelling headline and deliver an article at that moment, it might catch their eye." If the target is too broad, you can't narrow down the audience effectively; if it's too narrowly defined, it won't scale. The challenge is finding that sweet spot. Furthermore, it's crucial to identify clusters that allow for horizontal expansion—moving readers from one article to similar ones.

Another key point is "expectation management." When creating content, we craft titles and body text while consciously considering what readers will feel and think upon seeing it. While it's often said that including proper nouns or numbers in titles boosts readership, that's not the core issue. What matters more is what readers feel when they see the title, and whether opening the article meets that expectation without disappointment—even better, heightens it.

Yoshiha: So, in reality, many articles fail to achieve this?

Tajima: Exactly. Even if a title catches their attention and they click, if the lead paragraph is completely different from the title or the topic shifts midway, they'll abandon the article. With print media, readers see what's written before the title, but with web media, what's displayed on the screen is everything. Moreover, since many articles include paid subscription or service sign-up calls-to-action at the end, it's crucial to control reader expectations and keep them reading until the very end. Higher completion rates mean longer reader dwell times on the site, which also earns higher ratings from algorithms. I think this approach is quite similar to marketing methods that design the entire journey from entry to exit.

The Role Mass Media Should Play and Building Trust

Yoshiha: This time, considering "mass media" as media with strong brand power, I'd like to ask Mr. Fuse-gawa for his opinion on how mass media should build trust.

Fusegawa: When we previously surveyed mass media credibility (※1), a significant number of younger respondents stated, "There are no trustworthy media outlets." As someone born in the 1970s, my generation viewed media as inherently reliable, so this revealed how perceptions have shifted over time.

In light of these findings, I believe mass media outlets like television and newspapers should strive to communicate more proactively with their readers about what they are conveying. This means not just presenting one perspective on a single fact, but openly sharing opinions from different angles. It's crucial to clearly articulate what information is trustworthy and reliable. I believe this is an especially important role for media with strong brand power to fulfill.

Yoshiwa: Presenting multiple perspectives on a single fact is something only media with strong brand power can do. That also seems to call for strong editorial judgment.

Fuse-gawa: Article 4 of the Broadcasting Act (※2) stipulates that reporting should incorporate diverse viewpoints. For newspapers too, I believe actively presenting multifaceted perspectives—such as by introducing other publications' viewpoints—can enhance trust.

Yamawaki: The Broadcasting Act stipulates that media using public airwaves must maintain diverse perspectives and political impartiality. In the U.S., television and radio were regulated for years by a similar rule called the "Fairness Doctrine," which was abolished in 1987. Some argue this abolition contributed to the subsequent division in American society.

Should media prioritize page views or trust?

Yoshiha: Prioritizing page views versus prioritizing credibility sometimes seem to be in conflict. Which do you think should be prioritized?

Tajima: I believe page views can be generated while maintaining credibility. For media sustainability, a design where both don't conflict is ideal. While sacrificing credibility for short-term profits is possible, it also fuels the spread of fake news.

AI will continue to advance, but history remains an enduring value. The high level of trust associated with a long-established brand like a "100-year-old newspaper company" is something no tech company can surpass. To leverage such brand power, I believe we should increase PV and readership based on trust.

Yamawaki: I believe the value of ads displayed differs between articles that generate page views through sensational headlines and those from trustworthy media. Media loses everything if it loses trust. While trust in mass media has wavered in the SNS era, Japan tends to have higher media trust compared to many other countries. For media, the most crucial and fundamental thing is maintaining the trust of readers and users.

Editorial strength is crucial not only for mass media like newspapers but also for corporate communications. To avoid betraying readers' expectations and become a trusted media outlet, isn't it necessary to constantly review whether biased information is being disseminated and whether multiple perspectives are being considered? In the second part, we'll expand the discussion to cover media neutrality and media operations in the AI era.

<Notes>
※1 An internet survey conducted in September 2023 measuring consumers' "level of engagement," "habitual consumption," and "trust" in media content, as well as "advertising interest" regarding ad placement formats.
※2 The Broadcasting Act is Japan's fundamental law governing television, radio, and other broadcasts. Article 4 mandates that broadcasters, when producing programs, must be "politically impartial" and "present diverse viewpoints."
Source: e-Gov Portal

• What is the editorial power that builds trust with readers in the age of information explosion? (Part 2)