"Apologies" press conferences
KODAMA Miiko / Professor, Musashi University
February 20, 2008
A familiar sight on Japanese television in 2007 was what had become known as an "apologies" press conference. There they were, the CEO and other members of the board of the company in question, standing in a row right across the television screen, all bowing together as if on cue, and saying, "We are sorry." I have never come across scenes like that on television overseas, and I don’t think it was so common in Japan before either. Why do we see images like this so much nowadays?
This phenomenon is not unrelated to the development of the media society. In the 1990s many media started descending en masse on a particular target to cover a specific incident; this was criticized as "overheated media scrum." So in exchange for restraining themselves from individually approaching the people concerned, the media started demanding that these people hold a press conference. That is one explanation. However, why do these people have to apologize at the press conference? It may be meaningful for them to apologize directly to those they have wronged, but what is the point of apologizing to a row of television cameras? That is what I couldn't help wondering, but apparently, there is good reason for doing this.
Various incidents become real "cases" only when they are reported by the media. If the media does not know about it, even a serious issue does not develop into a case. Therefore, what is the problem is the fact that the issue has become known to the media and has thus caused a sensation. That is why those people apologize in front of the media rather than to the people they wronged.
Last year was the year in which many cases of falsification were exposed. What was labeled as beef contained other meat, products were re-labeled with extended use-by dates, products were falsely labeled as produce from traditional production sites, and other cases of falsification related to food came to light. In the world of sport, too, people like sumo Grand Champion Asashoryu and the boxing Kameda family were condemned by society for their outrageous behavior, and were driven to hold press conferences.
In the examples cited here, those involved were guilty of deception but their deception did not cause food poisoning or a big accident. However, their deception came to the attention of the media and it developed into a case. That is why it was important for those people to apologize in the glare of the media. An apology means an absolution. Once the media stop reporting the incident, the world is going to forget them and leave them alone—that appears to be what they are thinking.
"Apologies" press conferences are rarely seen in the West. Why? In the West, if you admit that you were at fault and apologize, you must of course be prepared to pay a penalty such as resigning or going out of business. The world looks down with contempt upon people who admit they were in the wrong. So even if you had actually behaved in a questionable way, you must continue to flatly deny any wrongdoing and resist demands for an apology outright, if you want to stay in business.
In Japan, however, if you show remorse, apologize, and pledge never to do it again, you are often forgiven. Naturally, you cannot expect everything to be the way it was before right away, but by making a sincere effort, you can be given a second chance. That is why companies with many employees which want to stay in business and individuals who want to continue their activities offer their apologies in public. Whether that is commendable or not is beside the point.
"Apologize and you will be forgiven" is part of the Japanese social mores. Add to this the Japanese style of greeting, "bowing." The fusion has produced, on the stage of the media society, the peculiar performances of "apologies" press conference acted out time and again.
The author is professor of Musashi University.
This phenomenon is not unrelated to the development of the media society. In the 1990s many media started descending en masse on a particular target to cover a specific incident; this was criticized as "overheated media scrum." So in exchange for restraining themselves from individually approaching the people concerned, the media started demanding that these people hold a press conference. That is one explanation. However, why do these people have to apologize at the press conference? It may be meaningful for them to apologize directly to those they have wronged, but what is the point of apologizing to a row of television cameras? That is what I couldn't help wondering, but apparently, there is good reason for doing this.
Various incidents become real "cases" only when they are reported by the media. If the media does not know about it, even a serious issue does not develop into a case. Therefore, what is the problem is the fact that the issue has become known to the media and has thus caused a sensation. That is why those people apologize in front of the media rather than to the people they wronged.
Last year was the year in which many cases of falsification were exposed. What was labeled as beef contained other meat, products were re-labeled with extended use-by dates, products were falsely labeled as produce from traditional production sites, and other cases of falsification related to food came to light. In the world of sport, too, people like sumo Grand Champion Asashoryu and the boxing Kameda family were condemned by society for their outrageous behavior, and were driven to hold press conferences.
In the examples cited here, those involved were guilty of deception but their deception did not cause food poisoning or a big accident. However, their deception came to the attention of the media and it developed into a case. That is why it was important for those people to apologize in the glare of the media. An apology means an absolution. Once the media stop reporting the incident, the world is going to forget them and leave them alone—that appears to be what they are thinking.
"Apologies" press conferences are rarely seen in the West. Why? In the West, if you admit that you were at fault and apologize, you must of course be prepared to pay a penalty such as resigning or going out of business. The world looks down with contempt upon people who admit they were in the wrong. So even if you had actually behaved in a questionable way, you must continue to flatly deny any wrongdoing and resist demands for an apology outright, if you want to stay in business.
In Japan, however, if you show remorse, apologize, and pledge never to do it again, you are often forgiven. Naturally, you cannot expect everything to be the way it was before right away, but by making a sincere effort, you can be given a second chance. That is why companies with many employees which want to stay in business and individuals who want to continue their activities offer their apologies in public. Whether that is commendable or not is beside the point.
"Apologize and you will be forgiven" is part of the Japanese social mores. Add to this the Japanese style of greeting, "bowing." The fusion has produced, on the stage of the media society, the peculiar performances of "apologies" press conference acted out time and again.
The author is professor of Musashi University.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
「謝罪会見」
小玉 美意子 / 武蔵大学教授
2008年 2月 20日
昨年の日本のテレビニュースの中で「謝罪会見」と言われる場面が目についた。テレビ画面の横いっぱいに、問題を起こした会社の社長以下役員が並び、いっせいに頭を下げて「申し訳ございませんでした」と言う。外国のニュースでこのような場面は見たことが無いし、日本でも以前はあまり見なかった。どうして、最近、このような映像が多くなったのか。
それは、メディア社会が進行したことと関連があると思う。1990年代から、多数のメディアが特定の事例に集中的に取材攻撃をかけ、それが「集団的過熱取材」として問題になった。そこで、個別取材を自粛する代わりに記者会見を要求するようになったのが一因だ。しかし、何故「謝罪会見」なのか。直接被害を与えた人に謝るならともかく、カメラに向かって謝っても仕方が無いだろう・・・と言いたいところだが、どうもそうではないようだ。
さまざまな出来事は、マスコミが知ってはじめて事件となる。マスコミが知らなければ本当は大問題でも事件とはならない。したがって、マスコミに知られ「世間を騒がせた」ことが問題なのである。だからこそ、当事者に対してよりもマスコミの前で謝罪をすることになる。
特に昨年は、色々な「偽り」が暴露された年だった。牛肉という表示にそうでない肉が混じっていたり、賞味期限を延ばして先の日付をつけたり、偽の有名産地ブランドで商品を売り出したりと、食品偽装が明るみに出た。また、スポーツでも、横綱・朝青龍やボクシングの亀田親子の謝罪会見など、あるまじき行動を取った人が世間から非難され、それに対処して記者会見が開かれた。
ここであげた例では、当事者たちに世間を欺いた罪はあるけれど、それによって、中毒が起こったわけでも大きな事故が発生したわけでもなかった。マスコミの知るところとなって事件化したのだから、マスコミの前で謝罪を行うことこそが大事なのだ。「謝罪」をすることで「みそぎ」がすみ、マスコミが取材しなくなれば「世間」も自然に収まる―と考えているように見える。
しかし、欧米では「謝罪会見」などはあまり見かけない。自分が非を認め詫びたならば、当然、職を辞すとか廃業するなどのペナルティを覚悟しなければならないだろう。人々は非を認めた人を見下し軽蔑する。だから、仕事を続けたい人は、本当は問題行動をしていてもあくまで否定しつづけ、突っぱねなければならない。
しかし、日本では、反省し謝罪し、今後決してそのようなことをしないと誓うと、許してもらえることが多い。もちろん、直ちに元通りというわけにはいかないけれど、誠心誠意努力することで、ある程度再出発が可能なのだ。だからこそ、多くの従業員を抱え今後も生き延びたいと思う企業や、これからも活動をつづけたい人は謝罪する。それが良いかどうかは別として。
「謝れば赦す」精神風土に、「お辞儀」という日本的挨拶のスタイルが結びつき、メディア社会という舞台装置の上で、奇妙に融合して出現したのが「謝罪会見」なのだと思う。
（筆者は武蔵大学教授。）
それは、メディア社会が進行したことと関連があると思う。1990年代から、多数のメディアが特定の事例に集中的に取材攻撃をかけ、それが「集団的過熱取材」として問題になった。そこで、個別取材を自粛する代わりに記者会見を要求するようになったのが一因だ。しかし、何故「謝罪会見」なのか。直接被害を与えた人に謝るならともかく、カメラに向かって謝っても仕方が無いだろう・・・と言いたいところだが、どうもそうではないようだ。
さまざまな出来事は、マスコミが知ってはじめて事件となる。マスコミが知らなければ本当は大問題でも事件とはならない。したがって、マスコミに知られ「世間を騒がせた」ことが問題なのである。だからこそ、当事者に対してよりもマスコミの前で謝罪をすることになる。
特に昨年は、色々な「偽り」が暴露された年だった。牛肉という表示にそうでない肉が混じっていたり、賞味期限を延ばして先の日付をつけたり、偽の有名産地ブランドで商品を売り出したりと、食品偽装が明るみに出た。また、スポーツでも、横綱・朝青龍やボクシングの亀田親子の謝罪会見など、あるまじき行動を取った人が世間から非難され、それに対処して記者会見が開かれた。
ここであげた例では、当事者たちに世間を欺いた罪はあるけれど、それによって、中毒が起こったわけでも大きな事故が発生したわけでもなかった。マスコミの知るところとなって事件化したのだから、マスコミの前で謝罪を行うことこそが大事なのだ。「謝罪」をすることで「みそぎ」がすみ、マスコミが取材しなくなれば「世間」も自然に収まる―と考えているように見える。
しかし、欧米では「謝罪会見」などはあまり見かけない。自分が非を認め詫びたならば、当然、職を辞すとか廃業するなどのペナルティを覚悟しなければならないだろう。人々は非を認めた人を見下し軽蔑する。だから、仕事を続けたい人は、本当は問題行動をしていてもあくまで否定しつづけ、突っぱねなければならない。
しかし、日本では、反省し謝罪し、今後決してそのようなことをしないと誓うと、許してもらえることが多い。もちろん、直ちに元通りというわけにはいかないけれど、誠心誠意努力することで、ある程度再出発が可能なのだ。だからこそ、多くの従業員を抱え今後も生き延びたいと思う企業や、これからも活動をつづけたい人は謝罪する。それが良いかどうかは別として。
「謝れば赦す」精神風土に、「お辞儀」という日本的挨拶のスタイルが結びつき、メディア社会という舞台装置の上で、奇妙に融合して出現したのが「謝罪会見」なのだと思う。
（筆者は武蔵大学教授。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟