Media system’s logic
Operating <information/not information>?

DIJProf. Udo Di Fabio “How does modern society work?
November 28, 2019
Kaori Hayashi
University of Tokyo

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Prof. Di Fabio’s proposal“build a bridge between the description of thefunctioning of modern society and the discussion of
how a society should be constituted.
The description of the functioning of modernsociety is based on modern social science findings,
above all on the systems theory approach of
German sociologist Niklas Luhmann.”2Mass Media System
according to Luhmann• Operate with the code: <information/notinformation>• It is an autopoietic (self-reproducing) , closedsystem.

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Mass Media System according toLuhmann• Operate in a closed system with the code:
information/not information

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CASE 1: REPORTS FROMFUKUSHIMA
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September 11, 20196

Journalists’ ethics?
• How to deal with stories on radiation risks that has nostandard scientific guildelines.
• Journalists cannot bracket their values and commitmentsthat guide their personal lives and beliefs in reporting on
Fukushima• Framing stories as conflicts between “calmscientists/authorities vs. hysteric mothers” is a too easy
way in describing the situation.
→reporting on Fukushima requires more than value-free,truth-telling, objective model of journalism.
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CASE 2: #ME TOO

8• In 2017, Journalist Shiori Ito came forward tothe public and accused a prominent journalist
Noriyuki Yamaguchi of rape.
• Yamaguchi, a US correspondent for the Tokyo
Broadcasting System and a biographer ofJapan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, denied thecharge.
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#MeToo news reports in Japan(2017.5.1~2019.6.17)

Country (Period)

JapanKeyword

伊藤詩織(Shiori Ito)

Newspaper

Number of articles

YomiuriSankeiNikkei
AsahiMainichi

222452677(total)

#MeToo in South Korea• Triggering moment – TV Interview News2018.1.29, Newsroom, JTBC
• Prosecutor Suh, Ji-hyun– 8 years ago (groped by a senior colleague)– Problematizing Sexual harassment and– Improper treatments in the organization– To be public with media to say all the victims“You were not wrong”“You did nothing wrong”
Sexual harassment and sexual assault including silencing victims is occurring
everywhere in power relation structured in gendered way

Comparison of #MeToo news reports between Japanese andKorean media
Country (Period)

South Korea

KeywordNewspaper

Number of articles

서지현Chosun Ilbo
Joongand Ilbo
Dong-A Ilbo
Hankyoreh
Kyunghyang
Shinmun115
271
119229(2018.1.1~2019.6.1(Seo Ji-Hyun)
7)(total)Japan(2017.5.1~2019.6.1
7)伊藤詩織(Shiori Ito)

Yomiuri
SankeiNikkei
Asahi
Mainichi(total)2961030
222452677

Global Gender Gap Index 2018
AS CA CO GR IT JP KR NO UK US
3916407870 110 115 21551

• Whose reality is the traditional media
producing?
• Is mass media really an autonomic, autopoeticsystem?
• Why are there such a wide gap in reports
between South Korea and Japan?

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Problems of Luhmann’s “description”
Blanket description of “system”• Drastic changes taking place in the media
landscape• Luhmann theory fails to capture
uninstitutionalized emerging phenomena.
• It endorses past/present modern systems that arefirmly established.
• It indirectly stands for the autonomous, rational,
male- and European-centric human image.
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• Code <information/not information> does not
explain any of the most important problems andacute phenomena in the present digital media
culture• <information/not information> is decided outside
the media system.
• The concept “structural coupling” is too vague tostart any meaningful analyses.
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Recent code examples• authentic/not authentic instead of
information/not information (-> Fake news)• creative/ not creative instead ofprofessional/not professional (internet
memes of #MeToo, #DistractedlySexy)17

Tim Hunt, “Three things happen when they (women) are in the lab.
You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you
criticise them, they cry.”-> He resigned from the honorary post at UCL and damaged its
reputation.

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2017 Wardle, Derakhshan, p5

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