Welcome to the companion Web site to the book A Public Betrayed Recent Reviews

A Public Betrayed exposes the Japanese news media as an untrustworthy, antidemocratic, and even dangerous force — one that has betrayed its public duty. The book further reveals the reality that virtually all of the social, economic, and structural factors that conspire to make the Japanese news media so pernicious are increasingly present in country after country across the democratic world. Like its closest trading partner, the United States, Japan is a large, wealthy, highly industrialized, highly literate, high-tech, capitalist democracy with freedom of speech and of the press enshrined in its constitution. Yet its news industry regularly commits what can accurately be called "media atrocities." In viewing this site, you will learn a great deal about one of the most important media phenomena in the democratic world, and much of what you discover should frighten you. By examining the media in Japan, this site raises important questions regarding any society’s relationship with its media and its citizens:

• Where does a free press’s mission to propagate the "truth" end and propaganda begin?
• How does one define the line between legitimate interpretation and outright political bias?
• and many more questions >>

Japan is a rich, industrialized, democratic nation with a news media that has betrayed its people. In this site we will examine the Japanese media to bring their issues to light, while also considering Western media's own trends. If you need help using this site, please visit the how to use this site section.