Significance of the press conference during the early occupation period in Japan

Kamo Michiko

doi:10.4189/shes.15.109

Newspapers were influenced indirectly by the Civil Information and Education Section (CIE) in GHQ, who was responsible for media policy during the occupation period in Japan. This method was not forced like censorship, but rather was an educational approach, where newspaper editors were assembled. Despite this approach being unforced and indirect, newspapers in Japan gradually changed their articles to match the ideals promoted by the CIE. Why did the CIE adopt such an approach, and why was the control of the press so effective despite the chosen methods of influence being indirect and uncoercive? To answer these questions, this paper examined press conferences and focused analysis on reports about trials of war criminals, as a perception gap between the GHQ and Japanese media existed from the beginning of the occupation on the subject of war criminals. The solution was a press conference. At this conference, it was requested that newspaper editors ask vigorous questions to the CIE. Meanwhile, the CIE did not issue direct instructions, but instead focused on explaining the occupation policy and promoting their ideal image of what a newspaper should strive for. As a result, Japanese newspapers took on the advice of the CIE, and, using American newspapers as a model, began voluntarily including human interest stories into their reporting. Likewise, the CIE was able to gain a clearer understanding of the perception held by Japanese newspaper editors and then could use this knowledge in future occupation policy. This interactive nature was the significance of this press conference.

Significance of the press conference during the early occupation period in Japan

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