“Comfort Women” in British and French Newspapers

• In Event: Comparative Global Assessment of the Media Coverage of Japan’s “Comfort Women” Issue

Abstract

Our investigation of British and French newspaper coverage of the comfort women show that their involvement in the debate was limited, especially compared to that of U.S. newspapers. The degrees of geographic and historical separation of Britain and France may explain this disconnect. In terms of the contents, the British and French newspapers, whether liberal or conservative, were consistently critical of the Japanese government. This phenomenon can be understood from the fact that the articles were written by a small number of the same veteran reporters who have been working in Japan for many years. The small number of writers who focus on this topic and their individual positions and professional networks also contribute to the framing of “comfort women” issue.

Authors

• Cesar Castellvi, The University of Tokyo

• Omri Reis, The University of Tokyo