The is an entirely independent and

voluntary organization A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteering, volunteers, to form a body (or organ ...

funded and operated by the

mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit information ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The NSK was established on July 23, 1946. Its express purpose is to elevate ethical standards in reporting and protect and promote the media's common interests. The NSK has been criticized as limiting the foreign press, local Japanese media outlets, over-representing the large national newspapers, and monopolizing representation with government officials, especially in regards to

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

. The functions of the NSK fall into the following six categories: * maintenance and elevation of ethical standards * coordination, protection and promotion of common interests * research * seminars * public relations * international activities The NSK is involved in conducting seminars and lectures, and compiling a newsletter in an effort to increase education of the newspaper business in Japan and around the world. A study by the NSK, "Newspapers Take On The Digital Information Age; Can Journalism Survive?", came to four main conclusions. * ...that it is becoming more important for editors and publishers to make every effort to heighten the reliability of newspapers in the multimedia age. * ...that in order to protect newspaper's public role as a medium of expression and reporting. * ...that newspapers should try to aggressively take part in electronic and electric wave media that merge telecommunications and broadcasting services. * ...that newspapers should unite to solve such imminent problems.''Japan Media Review'', USC
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References

{{Authority control Newspaper associations Japanese journalism organizations Editor organizations 1946 establishments in Japan Organizations established in 1946

See also

References