The government¡¯s handling of a Tokyo Shimbun reporter known for her assertive questioning style has come under heavy scrutiny, after it emerged that authorities issued a statement last year singling her out for criticism and urging the Japanese press to keep their questions ¡°accurate¡± and ¡°fact-based.¡±
The statement, issued on Dec. 28 by a public relations official from the Prime Minister¡¯s Office to a community of journalists that routinely covers the entity, has since ignited criticism that it amounts to an infringement on the freedom of press.
In it, official Hideki Uemura accused a ¡°particular reporter from Tokyo Shimbun¡± of bombarding Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga with ¡°questions at odds with facts¡± over environmental problems in Okinawa during one of his twice-daily news conferences.
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