Editing NHK (section)

==Criticism and controversies==
===Criticism over comments about Japanese wartime history===
NHK has occasionally faced various criticisms for its treatment of Japan's wartime history.<ref name=JPRI>{{cite journal |url=http://www.jpri.org/publications/critiques/critique_XII_3.html |title=Censorship at NHK and PBS |publisher=Japan Policy Research Institute |author=Henry Laurence |journal=JPRI Critique |volume=XII |number=3 |date=April 2005 |archive-date=25 December 2015 |access-date=26 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225193947/http://www.jpri.org/publications/critiques/critique_XII_3.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{Nihongo|[[Katsuto Momii]]|籾井 勝人}}, the 21st Director-General of NHK, caused controversy<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25901572 |work=BBC News |title=Japan NHK boss Momii sparks WWII 'comfort women' row |date=26 January 2014 |access-date=29 July 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/01/japan-tv-chief-dismisses-wartime-sex-slavery-201412652738860639.html Japan TV chief dismisses wartime sex slavery - Asia-Pacific]. [[Al Jazeera English]]. Retrieved on 29 July 2014.</ref> by discussing Japan's actions in [[World War II]] at his first press conference after being appointed on 20 December 2013. It was reported that Momii said NHK should support the Japanese government in its territorial dispute with China and South Korea.<ref>{{cite news |date=2014-01-25 |title=New NHK chief: 'comfort women' only wrong per 'today's morality'; programming must push Japan's territorial stances |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/25/national/new-nhk-chief-comfort-women-only-wrong-per-todays-morality-programming-must-push-japans-territorial-stances/ |url-status=deviated |access-date=29 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125192910/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/25/national/new-nhk-chief-comfort-women-only-wrong-per-todays-morality-programming-must-push-japans-territorial-stances/ |archive-date=2014-01-25}}</ref> He also caused controversy by what some describe as the playing down of the [[comfort women]] issue in World War II, according to the ''Taipei Times'', stating, "[South] Korea's statements that Japan is the only nation that forced this are puzzling. 'Give us money, compensate us', they say, but since all of this was resolved by the Japan–Korea peace treaty, why are they reviving this issue? It's strange."<ref name="Taipei Times">{{cite news |date=27 January 2014 |title=NHK chairman says fuss over 'comfort women' perplexing |work=[[Taipei Times]] |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/01/27/2003582237 |access-date=21 November 2014}}</ref> It was subsequently reported by ''[[The Japan Times]]'' that on his first day at NHK Momii asked members of the executive team to hand in their resignation on the grounds they had all been appointed by his predecessor.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 February 2014 |title=NHK chief 'asked senior management to quit' on first day in office |work=[[The Japan Times]] |agency=Kyodo News |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/02/22/national/nhk-chief-asked-senior-management-to-quit-on-first-day-in-office/ |url-status=deviated |access-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226053342/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/02/22/national/nhk-chief-asked-senior-management-to-quit-on-first-day-in-office/ |archive-date=2014-02-26}}</ref>

A number of civil society groups protested against Momii's continued tenure as Director-General of NHK.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Nagata |first=Kazuki |date=2014-05-02 |title=Viewers target NHK chief Momii |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/05/02/national/viewers-target-nhk-chief-momii/ |url-status=deviated |access-date=29 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503043847/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/05/02/national/viewers-target-nhk-chief-momii/ |archive-date=2014-05-03}}</ref> On 27 January 2014,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-27 |title=NHK籾井会長に辞任要求/放送法に反すると市民団体 |url=https://www.shikoku-np.co.jp/national/culture_entertainment/20140127000378 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927213516/https://www.shikoku-np.co.jp/national/culture_entertainment/20140127000378 |archive-date=2023-09-27 |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=The Shikoku Shimbun |language=ja}}</ref> the {{Nihongo|Viewers' Community to Observe and Encourage NHK|NHKを監視・激励する視聴者コミュニティ}} issued a public letter calling for Momii's resignation on the grounds that the remarks he made at his inaugural press conference were explosive. The letter stated that if Momii did not resign by the end of April, its members would freeze their licence fee payments for half a year.<ref name=":1" /> While Momii did not resign, he was not reappointed and retired after serving only one term of three years.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sato |first=Junji |date=2019 |title=公共放送のあり方と財源: NHK受信料訴訟最高裁判決を受けて |journal=Journal of Mass Communication Studies |language=ja |volume=95 |pages=99–100 |doi=10.24460/mscom.95.0_87 |issn=1341-1306}}</ref>

On 17 October 2014, ''[[The Times]]'' claimed to have received internal NHK documents which banned any reference to the [[Nanjing Massacre]], to Japan's use of wartime sex slaves during World War II, and to its territorial dispute with China in its English-language broadcasting.<ref name=TimesUK>{{cite news |last=Parry |first=Richard Lloyd |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/japans-bbc-bans-any-reference-to-wartime-sex-slaves-s7qtbxr0kc0 |title=Japan's 'BBC' bans any reference to wartime 'sex slaves' |work=[[The Times]] |date=17 October 2014 |access-date=20 October 2014}}</ref>

===Black Lives Matter video===
On 10 June 2020, NHK apologized and took down an 80-second video about the [[Black Lives Matter|Black Lives Matter movement]] and [[George Floyd protests]] that was criticized for its "crude" animation of protesters and its focus on economic inequality rather than police brutality.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/nhk-takes-down-video-black-lives-matter-protests-after-backlash-1202954388/ |title=Japan's NHK Apologizes & Deletes Animation On Black Lives Matter Protests After Backlash |work=Deadline |last=Kanter |first=Jake |date=9 June 2020 |access-date=20 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Watatsuki |first1=Yoko |last2=Cheung |first2=Eric |last3=Guy |first3=Jack |title=Japanese broadcaster takes down controversial Black Lives Matter anime |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/09/asia/japan-anime-black-lives-matter-scli-intl/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |date=9 June 2020 |access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Denyer |first1=Simon |last2=Kashiwagi |first2=Akiko |title=U.S. slams Japanese broadcaster for 'offensive' cartoon about Black Lives Matter protests |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/japan-cartoon-about-black-lives-matter-protests-racist-offensive/2020/06/09/32d4226c-a9f7-11ea-a43b-be9f6494a87d_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=9 June 2020 |access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref> An official statement signed by Yuichi Tabata, head of NHK's International News Division, was released through NHK's official website.<ref>{{cite web |date=2010-06-24 |title=6月7日の放送についておわび |trans-title=Apologies over the 7 June broadcast |url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/program/sekaima/sekainoima0607.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615102551/https://www.nhk.or.jp/program/sekaima/sekainoima0607.pdf |archive-date=15 June 2020 |access-date=20 July 2021 |publisher=NHK}}</ref>

===Olympics documentary claims===
On 9 January 2022, NHK issued an apology over false allegations made in Director [[Naomi Kawase]]'s Tokyo Olympics documentary. Kawase was selected by the [[IOC]] in 2018 to cover Japanese reactions to the event and later during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. Footage and captions in the documentary alleged that protesters were being paid money to attend anti-Olympics rallies. One of the men interviewed later stated he was "unsure" if he had actually attended any anti-Olympics rallies. NHK Osaka cited "editorial oversights" and "deficiencies in research", issuing an apology. Some anti-Olympic activists demanded that the documentary should be removed. Some activists were concerned that the misinformation was spread by NHK to silence those who opposed the Tokyo Olympics during the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.arabnews.jp/en/japan/article_63238/ |title=NHK apologizes after airing report on the official film of Tokyo Olympics |date=12 Jan 2022 |author= |publisher=Arab News Japan |access-date=12 Jan 2022}}</ref> NHK denied that the footage was deliberately fabricated to mislead the public.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2022 |title=NHKの河瀬直美さんの五輪番組、字幕に不確かな内容 21年放送 |url=https://mainichi.jp/articles/20220109/k00/00m/040/127000c |url-access=subscription |access-date=10 January 2022 |website=Mainichi Shimbun |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2022 |title=NHK、事実確認せず不適切字幕「金もらって」「五輪反対デモ参加」 |url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQ196WCCQ19PTFC004.html |access-date=10 January 2022 |website=The Asahi Shimbun |language=ja}}</ref> On 13 January 2022, the NHK Osaka director [[Terunobu Maeda]] apologized during a press conference, admitting that the captions "should not have been included". Once again, he denied that the incident was a fabrication.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 January 2022 |title=NHK字幕問題 大阪放送局長陳謝「入れるべきではなかった」 |url=https://mainichi.jp/articles/20220113/k00/00m/040/149000c |url-access=subscription |access-date=14 January 2022 |website=Mainichi Shimbun |language=ja}}</ref> On 10 February 2022 NHK Osaka announced an internal review and fired 6 production staff members.<ref>{{Cite news|script-title=ja:五輪反対デモ「金で動員」の字幕、「誤り」と判断　NHK、職員処分|url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQ2B5QG5Q2BUCVL00X.html|access-date=21 October 2024|website=The Asahi Shimbun|date=10 February 2022 |language=ja}}</ref>

===COVID-19===
In December 2023, Japan's [[Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization]] (BPO) concluded that NHK had breached broadcasting ethics in its "News Watch 9" program, where people believed to have died from [[COVID-19]] [[vaccine injury]] were treated as if they had died from COVID-19. Regarding the incident as an inappropriate way of reporting, NHK stated that it would take measures to avoid the repetition of the misconduct.<ref>
{{Cite news
|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/12/06/japan/media/nhk-program-broadcasting-ethics-breach/
|title=NHK found to have breached ethics with COVID vaccine news segment
|date= 6 December 2023
|agency=Jiji Press
|newspaper=The Japan Times}}</ref>