Tuesday, January 23, 2018, 18:15 - 20:30
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Kazuo Abiko （我孫子和夫） |
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Ko Yamaguchi (山口光） |
The environment surrounding news media has changed drastically over the past two decades, primarily due to rapid advancement of information technology. The hardest-hit might be the newspaper industry, but it also affected news agencies whose revenue base has been traditional media. The book "News Agencies: Challenges in the New Digital Era" focuses on issues they face and their efforts to adapt to the transforming media landscape.
Kazuo Abiko and Ko Yamaguchi will talk about the book, which was published in Japanese last spring by the Japan Press Research Institute （新聞通信調査会）, a public-interest incorporated foundation. They are two of the 12 journalists and scholars who co-authored the book that covers major world news agencies.
Abiko, former Associated Press (AP) general manager for Northeast Asia and former FCCJ president, visited New York in late summer of 2016 and interviewed top executives of the Associated Press and Thomson Reuters to write about the two leading international news agencies. Yamaguchi, special advisor on strategic planning for Kyodo News and a longtime FCCJ member, wrote about news agencies of Russia and the Asia-Pacific region, including Tass News Agency, Press Trust of India, Vietnam News Agency, Bernama, ANTARA and the Australian Associated Press.
After retiring from the AP in 2010, Abiko taught at several universities on subjects related to journalism as part-time lecturer and visiting professor until last March. He meanwhile translated the AP's history book "Breaking News" into Japanese and co-authored a few books on international reporting and journalism standards. He has been contributing a monthly column about the state of U.S. media to the Japanese newspaper association's weekly publication since 2013.
Joining Kyodo in 1968, Yamaguchi served as foreign correspondent in Saigon, Bangkok, New York and Geneva before becoming managing director of the International Department in 2002. He also took outside assignments to serve as head of media relations for the organizing committees of the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1997 and the FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan in 2002. He became special advisor in 2005.
The library committee is offering a cocktail party – "Meet the Author" – starting at 6:15 pm, followed by dinner at 6:45 pm (Menu:Grilled Chicken with Rock Salt and Lime / Seasonal Salad / Bread / Strawberry and Blueberry Cake / Coffee or Tea). Drinks can be ordered on a cash basis from the bar in the room. Book Break charges are 2,100yen / 3,500yen (members / non-members) per person. The member price is applicable to members' guests.
To FCCJ members: Sign up now at the reception desk (03-3211-3161) or on the FCCJ website. To help us plan proper seating and food preparation, please reserve in advance, preferably by noon of the day of the event. Those without reservations will be turned away once available seats are filled. Reservations cancelled less than 24 hours in advance will be charged in full.
To non-members: Sign up now at the reception desk by email (front@fccj.or.jp). Please reserve and pay in advance by Thursday, January 18. Those without reservations will be turned away once available seats are filled. No refund is available unless the event is cancelled for the reasons on our part.
(The talk will be in English)
