{"id":414168,"date":"2010-03-11T00:35:11","date_gmt":"2010-03-11T05:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/globalvoicesonline.org\/?p=126123"},"modified":"2010-03-11T00:35:11","modified_gmt":"2010-03-11T05:35:11","slug":"japan-bulwark-of-citizen-journalism-closes-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/414168","title":{"rendered":"Japan: Bulwark of citizen journalism closes shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JanJanlogo01\"JanJan<\/a>, Japan Alternative news for Justices and NewCultures<\/em>, Japan\u2019s most popular news website based entirely on citizen journalism is about to suspend publication.<\/p>\n

At the end of March, the Japanese version of Ohmy News<\/a>, launched in 2002 and following in the footsteps of its Korean counterpart, will shut up shop. It may be reopened in future, perhaps with a more up-to-date business model. <\/p>\n

Many regular readers who received notice from JanJan explaining the decision to suspend the service, have expressed their discontent. Praising the website\u2019s original intent to provide an alternative coverage of issues that major Japanese media fail to cover and to offset the power of entrenched institutions such as the notorious kisha clubs<\/a> or press clubs.<\/p>\n

\"zasenkyo_b3\"Devoted readers, like aoki0104<\/a>, also are worried about the interruption to the portal Za Senkyo<\/a> (\u30b6\u30fb\u9078\u6319, The Elections), a complete and regularly updated database with information on politicians and elections throughout the whole country.<\/p>\n

\n

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I got an email from JanJan, the first internet newspaper to introduce the concept of citizen journalism in Japan, saying that it\u2019s going to suspend publication. The reason seems to be the progressive worsening of the business due to changes in the social environment and reduction of ad revenues. Of course, the personnel and the server maintenance require fixed expenses but I\u2019d like to know more about the management costs. What I am most concerned about is not being able to consult the section \u201cZa Senkyo\u201d. It would have been nice if they could pass the data on to a research institute, even if it wasn't going to be updated. In the past, it was so helpful that I could check election data for free.
\nFinally, I wonder if the cause of their failure is the fact that they were unable to create a platform that would involve the users more. <\/div>\n
\"'Note:<\/p>\n

‘Note: JanJan will be temporarily suspended' appeared on the JanJan home page.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Also Nishi Hiroshi<\/a>, a politician from Ibaraki prefecture is a big fan of \u201cZa Senkyo\u201d and JanJan in general.<\/p>\n

\n

\u30a4\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u306e\u89e3\u7981\u3082\u8fd1\u304f\u306a\u308a\u3064\u3064\u3042\u308b\u3053\u306e\u6642\u671f\u306b\u3001\u305d\u308c\u3092\u727d\u5f15\u3057\u3066\u304d\u305f\u8cb4\u91cd\u306a\u30b5\u30a4\u30c8\u304c\u7121\u304f\u306a\u3063\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3046\u3068\u3044\u3046\u4e8b\u306f\u672c\u5f53\u306b\u6b8b\u5ff5\u3067\u4ed5\u65b9\u304c\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In an era when there almost all information is available on the internet, it\u2019s really a pity that a website that was one of the most valuable pioneers is going to disappear. <\/div>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

\n

\u73fe\u8077\u306e\u56fd\u4f1a\u8b70\u54e1\u3084\u4e00\u90e8\u306e\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u8b70\u54e1\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u306e\u4e00\u89a7\u30b5\u30a4\u30c8\u306a\u3069\u306f\u4ed6\u306b\u3082\u3042\u308a\u307e\u3059\u304c\u3001\u5168\u81ea\u6cbb\u4f53\u306e\u9078\u6319\u7d50\u679c\u3084\u5168\u3066\u306e\u5019\u88dc\u8005\u307e\u3067\u4e00\u89a7\u3067\u5206\u304b\u308a\u3084\u3059\u304f\u7d39\u4ecb\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\u30b5\u30a4\u30c8\u306f\u4ed6\u306b\u306f\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002\u552f\u4e00\u306e\u8cb4\u91cd\u306a\u5b58\u5728\u3060\u3063\u305f\u306e\u3067\u3059\u3002
\n\u305d\u308c\u3060\u3051\u306b\u904b\u55b6\u3059\u308b\u5074\u3068\u3057\u3066\u306f\u5927\u5909\u306a\u3054\u82e6\u52b4\u3092\u3055\u308c\u3066\u304d\u305f\u306e\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u3051\u308c\u3069\u2026\u9006\u306b\u8a00\u3048\u3070\u305d\u306e\u84c4\u7a4d\u306f\u5927\u304d\u306a\u8ca1\u7523\u3067\u3042\u308b\u306e\u306f\u9593\u9055\u3044\u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002
\n\u300e\u30b6\u30fb\u9078\u6319\uff5eJANJAN\u5168\u56fd\u653f\u6cbb\u5bb6\u30c7 \u30fc\u30bf\u30d9\u30fc\u30b9\u300f\u306e\u90e8\u5206\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u306f\u3001\u6700\u8fd1\u9078\u6319\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u7a4d\u6975\u7684\u306b\u306a\u308a\u3064\u3064\u3042\u308bYahoo!\u3084\u697d\u5929\u3068\u304b\u304c\u30b9\u30dd\u30f3\u30b5\u30fc\u306b\u306a\u3063\u3066\u304f\u308c\u306a\u3044\u3082\u306e\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b\u306d\u2026\u3002
\n\u9053\u306e\u308a\u306f\u967a\u3057\u3044\u3067\u3057\u3087\u3046\u3051\u308c\u3069\u3001\u3069\u3046\u306b\u304b\u5fa9\u520a\uff08\u7d99\u7d9a\uff09\u3057\u3066\u6b32\u3057\u3044\u30b5\u30a4\u30c8\u3067\u3059\u3002 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Of course there are other sites where it is possible to obtain info on incumbent parliamentarians and officers of local government but there\u2019s no site like this where it\u2019s so easy to find the election results of all the local governments and candidates.
\nI guess that it must be very hard to manage all that but on the other hand, such a large accumulation of data has tremendous value.
\nCouldn't Yahoo! or Rakuten sponsor a part of Za Senkyo \u2013 JanJan National Politicians Database<\/em>, since they have both been so proactive during the recent elections\u2026?
\nI know it\u2019s a difficult path but I really hope the site will be published again or continued somehow. <\/div>\n

Learning of the interruption to a media site which relies on nearly 8,000 citizen journalists some bloggers speculated about the cause of it.
\n Parsley <\/a> indicates as a possible cause the poor quality of the coverage due to the nature of citizen journalism and the lack of quality control on the content. <\/p>\n

\n

\u3000\u7d50\u5c40\u306e\u3068\u3053\u308d\u3001\u30e6\u30fc\u30b6\u30fc\u500b\u3005\u304c\u826f\u8cea\u3068\u898b\u505a\u3057\u305f\u30b3\u30f3\u30c6\u30f3\u30c4\u3092\u691c\u7d22\u30a8\u30f3\u30b8\u30f3\u3067\u63a2\u3057\u305f\u308a\u3001RSS\u30ea\u30fc\u30c0\u30fc\u306b\u767b\u9332\u3057\u305f\u308a\u3001iGoogle\u306b\u767b\u9332\u3057\u305f\u308a\u3057\u3066\u3001\u81ea\u5206 \u306a\u308a\u306e\u30d7\u30e9\u30c3\u30c8\u30d5\u30a9\u30fc\u30e0\u3092\u30ab\u30b9\u30bf\u30de\u30a4\u30ba\u51fa\u6765\u308b\u6642\u4ee3\u306b\u3001\u30e1\u30c7\u30a3\u30a2\u81ea\u4f53\u3092\u30d7\u30e9\u30c3\u30c8\u30d5\u30a9\u30fc\u30e0\u3068\u3057\u3066\u69cb\u7bc9\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u81ea\u4f53\u304c\u6642\u4ee3\u9045\u308c\u306a\u306e\u3060\u308d\u3046\u3002\u30e6\u30fc\u30b6\u30fc\u5074\u306b\u30a2\u30d7\u30ed\u30fc \u30c1\u3059\u308b\u305f\u3081\u306b\u306f\u3001\u3044\u304b\u306b\u826f\u8cea\u306a\u30b3\u30f3\u30c6\u30f3\u30c4\u3092\u591a\u304f\u62b1\u3048\u3066\u3044\u308b\u304b\u3001\u3068\u3044\u3046\u3053\u3068\u306b\u6ce8\u529b\u3057\u306a\u3051\u308c\u3070\u306a\u3089\u306a\u3044\u4e2d\u3001\u30af\u30aa\u30ea\u30c6\u30a3\u30b3\u30f3\u30c8\u30ed\u30fc\u30eb\u3092\u307e\u3063\u305f\u304f\u5ff5\u982d\u306b\u7f6e\u3044\u3066\u3053\u306a \u304b\u3063\u305f\u5e02\u6c11\u53c2\u52a0\u30e1\u30c7\u30a3\u30a2\u3092\u3069\u306e\u3088\u3046\u306b\u3053\u308c\u304b\u3089\u306e\u53cd\u9762\u6559\u5e2b\u3068\u3057\u3066\u3044\u304f\u306e\u304b\u304c\u30dd\u30a4\u30f3\u30c8\u3068\u306a\u3063\u3066\u3044\u304f\u306e\u3060\u308d\u3046\u3002<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At the end of the day, now that individual users can search for good quality content, using RSS fees or iGoogle and customize their platform as they like, I find it very out-of-date the idea of building a media site as a platform. In order to attract users, it is a must to focus on constantly providing content with excellent quality. The next step will be to see how much can be learned from a citizens media project that gave no thought to quality control. <\/div>\n

Blogger toru_loves_you<\/a> suggests that licensing its contents under Creative License would somehow have saved JanJan.<\/p>\n

\n

\u4e71\u306e\u672b\u306b\u6d88\u3048\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305fOhmyNews\u304b\u30891\u5e74\u8fd1\u304f\uff0e
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\n\u624b\u5143\u307e\u3067\u5c4a\u304f\u304b\u3069\u3046\u304b\u306e\u4fe1\u983c\u6027\u3068\u3044\u3046\u306e\u306f\u3084\u306f\u308a\u5927\u304d\u3044\uff0e<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s been only one year or so since Ohmy News disappeared.
\nAnd now also JanJan that was the representative of citizen media is going to suspend its publication.
\nThey said that the reasons are out-of-date technology and the increasing independence of people from the media but the first cause is the decrease in advertising income.
\nRecently free papers with inserts are increasing but the lack of substance on the web is a fatal flaw in my opinion.
\nIn particular, the credibility that stems from being able to hold something in your hand is what makes the difference. <\/div>\n
\n

\u5f8c\uff0c\u5e83\u3052\u305f\u98a8\u5442\u6577\u304c\u5927\u304d\u904e\u304e\u305f\u306e\u304b\uff0c\u304a\u91d1\u304c\u304b\u304b\u308b\u30b7\u30b9\u30c6\u30e0\u306b\u4f9d\u5b58\u3057\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3063\u3066\uff0c\u4f11\u696d\u305b\u3056\u308b\u3092\u5f97\u306a\u3044\u3068\u3044\u3046\u306e\u306f\u3082\u3063\u305f\u3044\u306a\u3044\u8a71\u3060\uff0e
\n\u4eca\u5e74\u306b\u306f\u30c9\u30e1\u30a4\u30f3\u3082\u5909\u308f\u3063\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3063\u305f\u3057\uff0c\u4e00\u4f53\uff0c\u4f55\u3092\u3057\u3066\u3044\u305f\u306e\u3060\u308d\u3046\u304b\uff0e
\n\u3053\u306e\u624b\u306e\u3053\u3068\u306fCreative Commons\u30e9\u30a4\u30bb\u30f3\u30b9\u306e\u5143\u3067\u767a\u5c55\u3059\u308c\u3070\u826f\u304b\u3063\u305f\u306e\u306b\u3068\u601d\u3046\uff0e[\u2026]
\nCreative Commons\u30e9\u30a4\u30bb\u30f3\u30b9\u3092\u62d2\u5426\u3059\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306f\u4e00\u77ac\u3067\u7c21\u5358\u306b\u3067\u304d\u3066\u3057\u307e\u3046\u304c\uff0c\u305d\u306e\u50b7\u306f\u5f90\u3005\u306b\u5f90\u3005\u306b\u5927\u304d\u304f\u306a\u308b\uff0e<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Too much dependence on a costly system has inevitably resulted in business failure and this is a pity.
\nThis year the domain changed\u2026what happened, I wonder?
\nI also think that they should have developed the whole system under a Creative Commons License.[\u2026]
\nIt takes only a split second to say no to such a license, but the loss stemming from that mistake gets bigger and bigger with every passing day.<\/div>\n

Finally, harsh is the criticism to JanJan by blogger Ampontan<\/a> in his accurate and illuminating review of the Japanese media landscape<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

The publication, whose slogan was, \u201cCitizens\u2019 media by the citizens for the citizens,\u201d has been around for seven years. They say ad revenue has fallen so drastically the enterprise is now unsupportable.
\nThey\u2019re probably telling the truth about the ad revenue, but they\u2019re not telling us why the ad revenue dried up. Here\u2019s a possibility\u2014the site content wasn\u2019t worth reading. The name JanJan is short for Japan Alternative News for Justices and New Cultures, and I\u2019ll pause a second for everyone to roll their eyes. The articles on the site are just as ploddingly earnest and poorly written as one might gather from that title.
\nTheir one good idea was to compile a database on the nation\u2019s politicians, but only an extreme policy wank or political otaku would have found it useful.
\nNow, if the citizens had managed to dig up information such as the following [i.e. DPJ Secretary-General Ozawa's practice to buy journalists], it might have turned out differently for them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JanJan, Japan Alternative news for Justices and NewCultures, Japan\u2019s most popular news website based entirely on citizen journalism is about to suspend publication. At the end of March, the Japanese version of Ohmy News, launched in 2002 and following in the footsteps of its Korean counterpart, will shut up shop. It may be reopened in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4483,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-414168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4483"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414168\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}