What defines a media outlet's editorial strength in building trust with readers in this era of information explosion? (Part 2)

Many companies operate owned media to deepen engagement with consumers. However, it's also true that in this era of information explosion, it's difficult to widely deliver accurate information to target audiences. So, how should we disseminate and receive information?

Following Part 1, this article features a discussion facilitated by Ms. Yuko Yoshiba, Chief Branding/Culture Officer at dentsu Japan, with Mr. Takeshi Yamawaki, Director Chief Branding/Culture Officer, facilitated a discussion with Mr. Takeshi Yamawaki, Director of the SmartNews Media Lab (a think tank operated by SmartNews Inc.), and Mr. Shota Tajima, CEO of StoryHub Inc. (a company operating media leveraging AI and data) and Visiting Researcher at the SmartNews Media Lab . Mr. Tajima is responsible for building trust in brand media at Dentsu Inc. (MCx Division), engaged in a cross-talk discussion. In the second part, they discussed the future of media, focusing on maintaining neutrality in information dissemination, the future of editing through human-AI co-creation, and the literacy required for next-generation media.

Media Neutrality and Approaches to Information Dissemination Preventing Division

Yoshiha: It's said that social division has intensified in the United States recently. Why has this situation arisen?

Yamawaki: Opinion fragmentation and polarization have existed in the U.S. for some time. However, in recent years, the TV networks, newspapers, and online media frequently consumed by liberals to obtain political information have diverged significantly from those favored by conservatives. Once polarization begins, media outlets create increasingly extreme content tailored to what their respective audiences want to see, creating a vicious cycle that further deepens the divide.

On the other hand, while Japanese media also has characteristics leaning conservative or liberal, it is not as sharply divided as in the United States. Furthermore, because there were many people leaning towards the center, it was commercially viable for mass media to adopt a "middle-of-the-road" stance.

However, recently, I believe the tendency for opinions to clearly divide between right and left on certain issues is growing stronger. Consequently, media outlets creating content favored by people with specific leanings or interests are likely to increase in Japan as well. However, a society where groups or individuals with differing ideologies view each other as enemies, engage in mutual vilification, and become incapable of dialogue cannot be considered healthy. To prevent this, I believe it is necessary to implement economic and social policies that avoid creating extreme inequality like in the United States, while also carefully considering the role of media and platform companies.

Yoshiha: How should media maintain neutrality?

Yamawaki: Achieving complete "neutrality" is fundamentally difficult. When reporting, the selection of which information to pick involves some judgment or bias. However, we can strive to maintain the greatest possible "fairness" by not only covering one-sided information but also presenting opposing viewpoints. Furthermore, while articles written in a style that incorporates the writer's "subjective perspective" to enhance readability are increasing, in such cases, it should be clearly stated that this is the reporter's personal view. Within that, the writer can also include statements like, "This is my opinion, but there are also opposing viewpoints like this." By "objectifying the subjective," it becomes possible to write articles that maintain fairness in a calm tone.

Maintaining fairness requires humility on the part of the journalist. By avoiding fixation on a single viewpoint, holding the doubt that "my perspective might be wrong," and interviewing people with differing values, depth naturally emerges in the article. If a reporter simply tries to impose their own views on readers or viewers and incite them, they are not a reporter but an activist. Instead, I believe it's crucial to maintain the humility to leave the final value judgment to the reader after exhausting all possible sources of information. This is also important to prevent the progression of division.

Yoshiha: Indeed, when media outlets report from a high horse, saying "this is how it should be," it might be harder for people to relate.

Yamawaki: Yes. Furthermore, I believe the social significance of mass media lies in its role as professionals handling information: conveying as much accurate information as possible about what is known at that moment to as many people as possible. Information undergoes multiple layers of checks, not just by one reporter, but also by captains, desks, and proofreaders. Social media posts don't require that level of rigor. While mass media can't completely prevent misinformation, I feel it's worth making more effort to let people know that they routinely work to prevent it – something that's surprisingly unknown.

Yoshiha: I believe it's important for readers to understand that mass media undergoes multi-layered verification. This knowledge is crucial when receiving information and forming judgments.

What skills will editors need in the AI era?

Yoshiha: In an era where AI is involved in editing and distributing articles, what role should human editors play? What value do you think they can provide?

Tajima: Honestly, when it comes to writing ability, I believe AI already surpasses many humans. In this context, the value only humans can provide lies in planning and structuring skills, along with the ability to gather primary information through reporting. Humans are better than AI at judging what themes should be communicated, and AI cannot gather the raw information needed as material.

Furthermore, the discernment to evaluate AI-generated content is uniquely human. It's this meta-editing ability—judging the quality of AI-edited material and applying further edits. This also includes the editorial skill of crafting effective prompts to guide the AI.

Yoshiba: So both the ability to edit inputs to AI and the ability to edit outputs from AI are necessary.

Tajima: Exactly. Another crucial skill is project management ability to define the division of roles between AI and humans. No matter how intelligent AI becomes, it's difficult to produce high-quality articles by relying solely on AI. Creating a single article involves various steps: planning the concept, conducting interviews, transcribing recorded interviews, writing the article, proofreading, and crafting the title. Deciding which steps to use AI for and dividing roles on a case-by-case basis is something only humans can do. This is where the value of editors is truly tested.

The Literacy Required for Next-Generation Media

Yoshiha: We've discussed many points. What kind of "literacy" is required for next-generation media?

Fusegawa: I believe it's crucial for those disseminating information to sincerely consider what value they will provide to whom, and how they will convey the necessary actions.

Yamawaki: Whether next-generation or traditional media, trust is paramount. To earn that trust, two things are essential. First, conduct thorough fact-checking before disseminating information. Second, since human organizations inevitably make mistakes, promptly acknowledge and correct errors when they occur.

Professional media convey facts based on what has been confirmed at that moment. However, whether it's an incident or politics, situations change constantly. Yesterday's "truth" is not necessarily today's "truth." Similarly, in science, what is scientifically accepted at one point may be overturned by later research. Even in corporate mergers, a reported merger may actually fall through later. Philosopher Shunsuke Tsurumi's advocacy of "errorism" is widely known. I believe journalism should maintain trust by standing on the premise that "humans are fallible by nature" and promptly correcting mistakes when they are noticed.

Tajima: I believe maintaining a high resolution in the information ecosystem leads to literacy. This allows us to see when no information or content is flowing through a particular channel, or when a channel is overly biased.

While we're in what's called an era of content explosion, I personally feel there's still a significant lack of content. There are still untapped formats, topics, and distribution channels for content, and business opportunities should remain available. I think it's crucial to create content while being conscious of the flow within the information ecosystem.

Especially in the AI and SNS era, it's becoming commonplace for information to be re-edited within networks before reaching its audience. Previously, readers consumed articles exactly as published by media outlets. Now, AI summarizes content, influencers extract only the most interesting parts to share, and information reaches audiences after being re-edited. We must keep this in mind when disseminating information. In this sense, the importance of providing unique, first-hand information is growing. Various strategies are possible, such as sharing information that retains value even when re-edited, or integrating influencers who re-edit information into your community. However, I believe the crucial point is determining what position we take within this increasingly complex information ecosystem.

The Comprehensive Approach Required of Future Media

Yoshiha: Finally, please share a message for those who will be disseminating information going forward.

Tajima: I believe Japan still lacks sufficient information. The 2024 Reuters Digital News Report also showed that only 21% of Japanese respondents felt overwhelmed by the volume of news—less than half the rate in Western countries. This indicates there's still room for information to reach readers compared to the global landscape. That's precisely why we need to consciously leverage the characteristics of the information ecosystem in our communication.

Fuse-gawa: Media outlets disseminating information should reconsider whether they prioritize specialization or comprehensiveness. In the past, people often said, "Once you enter the workforce, you should at least read the newspaper." This implies newspapers maintain comprehensive coverage and uniformity of information. Nowadays, specialization is emphasized, and I feel the standing of comprehensive media has declined. I myself want to think about how we should position ourselves.

Yamawaki: In the SNS era, unverified information and fake/misinformation spread explosively, even driving people to suicide in some cases. I believe a crucial element of "media literacy in the SNS era" is pausing when encountering shocking information and not spreading it if its truthfulness is unclear.

Understanding the differences in how mass media and SNS provide information is also crucial. SNS algorithms display information likely to interest the user. If consuming information were like eating food, SNS is like continuously feeding someone who already loves ice cream various ice creams and similar desserts. On the other hand, mass media like TV news programs and newspapers act as professionals handling information. They prepare dishes using ingredients whose origins have been verified, then present them like a makunouchi bento box, saying, "Here's today's news." For the viewers or readers receiving this meal, there might be side dishes they don't like, but they might try them and find they actually enjoy them. It's not about which is better; I think it's important to understand the differences between the two and consume or share information accordingly.

Fundamentally, information isn't simply divided into fact and fiction. A vast gray zone lies between them. Professor Takumi Sato of Sophia University suggests that regarding such ambiguous information, we should "tolerate the ambiguity" – meaning "it's often better to (deliberately) leave it alone."

To develop media literacy, it's vital to cultivate the habit of critical thinking. While sometimes translated as "critical thinking," it doesn't mean criticizing others. Rather, it involves reflecting on whether your own thinking is sound, scrutinizing information, and considering perspectives different from your own. It's also a skill that helps mitigate division, so I sincerely hope it will be formally incorporated into school education.

In the coming era, critical thinking—the ability to evaluate information—will be increasingly demanded by both media outlets disseminating information and the general public consuming it. A commitment to verifying information's accuracy, preventing misinformation from spreading unchecked, and delivering reliable content will ultimately build trust in the media.