The Japanese public and the media: Modes of perception and critical reflection

This article examines the features of information perception and critical thinking within the contemporary Japanese media sphere, with a particular focus on societal attitudes towards national mass media. Drawing on empirical research data from both international and Japanese media research institutes, the author analyzes the transformation of media consumption patterns in the context of digitalization and audience fragmentation. The study reveals that the declining popularity of traditional media in Japan is not offset by an equivalent increase in news consumption via social networks, leading to a pronounced “news avoidance” phenomenon affecting a significant portion of the population. Special attention is paid to the dominance of news aggregators and search services as key information channels, as well as the agebased differentiation of media practices: younger generations more frequently turn to social platforms, while older age groups resort to YouTube and traditional media. The article also identifies the unique role of “ordinary users” as significant actors in shaping the information agenda on Japanese social networks, which distinguishes Japan from most other countries where politicians and journalists remain the dominant opinion leaders. A separate section is devoted to the issue of trust in the media: despite a global crisis of trust in journalism, its level in Japan remains relatively high and stable. The key criteria for evaluating information for the Japanese audience are the absence of bias, transparency, and adherence to professional standards. Criticism of the media and journalists in Japanese society is less pronounced than the global average and is more often initiated by celebrities and influencers rather than political actors. This article therefore establishes that the Japanese media landscape is uniquely defined by the convergence of worldwide digital shifts and deeply rooted cultural patterns of trust, measured critique, and a particular collective stance toward national media. The theoretical significance of the study lies in clarifying the applicability of universalist models of media consumption and trust in news to the Japanese context, as well as in conceptualizing the role of nationally conditioned factors in analyzing the digital transformation of the media sphere.

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