Thursday, December 27, 2007

Again, a Wire Service Mostly Gets It Right, on Prime Minister Fukuda’s Trip to China

It may be just me, But I think that, on average, the wire services do a much better job of reporting what is actually going on in Japan than most* English-language news outlets. This AP piece on Prime Minister Fukuda’s trip is no exception. There are no dramatic revelations or penetrating insights, but the article covers all the bases with remarkable balance and accuracy. One quibble:

Developing those [East China Sea] gas fields is a top priority for Japan.

Say who? The AP correspondent has obviously not seen a map.

Also, the article lacks any sense of the background to Prime Minister Abe’s trip. As the article stands, the visit lacks the broader political context. But perhaps that is too much to ask of a wire service.

* I say “most” because I have great respect for Economist. I haven’t been reading it very much in recent years, so I can’t say for certain that this is still true.

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