The Balancing Approach as a Way of Thinking about the Ethic of News Reporting: A Constitutional Perspective Focusing on the Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press and Right to Know

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13382
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05070:New fields of law-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Matsubara Taeka 東京大学, 大学院情報学環・学際情報学府, 特任助教 (70812626)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 報道倫理 / 内部告発 / 調査報道 / 公共性 / インタビュー調査 / 表現の自由 / 取材・報道の自由 / 知る権利

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to investigate journalistic ethics with a focus on the relationships among sources, journalists or media organizations, and the public. The research methodology includes two main components: 1) attempting to construct a theoretical framework for journalistic ethics, and 2) conducting an examination of specific ethical issues pertaining to journalism. In the first part, this research aimed to establish an universal set of journalistic ethics capable of addressing practical challenges in the field of journalism. This was pursued through an exploration of the connections between legal discourse and humanities disciplines such as philosophy and ethics. Additionally, in the second part, investigations were conducted into specific journalistic themes, analyzing the role of journalism in each case. Alongside analyzing the role of journalism in each thematic area, ethical dilemmas concerning infringements upon the personal rights and privacy of subjects were also examined.

Free Research Field

情報法、メディア法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、取材・報道が抱える法的・倫理的問題について、内部告発報道などの具体的事案を通じて学際的立体的研究を行い、実現可能性の高い研究結果を記者及び報道業界に提示することを試みた。表現の自由や報道の視点から内部告発を切り取ることで、これまで着目されることが多くなかった民主主義社会における内部告発報道の重要性に光を当て、取材源、記者、公衆の三者の関係性の視点から捉え、憲法における表現の自由の三形態の議論を規定し直した。当事者の視点を重視して、理論研究だけではなく事例研究を行い、学際性の高い研究方法で研究の立体化を試み、実際的な課題解決方法を目指した点に独自性があったと考える。