The Yomiuri Shimbun Group sent a formal protest to Bungeishunju, publisher of the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun, accusing it of fabricating a report that Yomiuri’s president apologized to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
In its Aug. 19 issue, Bunshun ran a story titled “Behind Ishiba’s Defiance Was Yomiuri’s Apology.” The magazine claimed that Yomiuri president Tsunehisa Yamaguchi privately met Ishiba earlier this month and expressed regret over the paper’s coverage of the prime minister’s possible resignation, saying he could not control the political desk.
Yomiuri flatly denied that any apology took place and said the article had caused “serious damage” to its reputation. The company demanded both an apology and a retraction, calling the report “malicious.”
The clash comes as Yomiuri itself faces questions over its reporting. On July 23, the paper issued an extra edition declaring “Prime Minister Ishiba to Resign,” followed by a front-page story the next day that said he was expected to step down by the end of the month. Ishiba immediately rejected the reports and, as of Aug. 20, remains in office.
Critics on social media have accused Yomiuri of publishing a false report, while the company has refused to say whether it plans to correct or retract its “resignation” coverage. In a response to J-CAST News, Yomiuri’s public relations office said only that its recent reports speak for themselves and offered no further comment.
by MagazineKey4532