[/floatr]Yomiuri: Why was 'Ronza' discontinued?
"Ronza" (Viewpoints), The Asahi Shimbun's monthly magazine noted for bringing down barriers between opposing schools of thought, will be suspended starting with the Sept. 1 publication of the October edition. The discontinuance of "Ronza" is indicative of difficulties with creating and encouraging an open forum with a wide range of views and values. It also indicates surging discontent among young people with existing print media opinion..."Ronza" specials have drawn particularly strong attention since its current chief editor, Katsuyuki Yakushiji, assumed his post in January 2005, and began pitting persons with conflicting views against each other...This ambitious editorial policy, however, did not guarantee the monthly would chalk up a solid circulation. Although its circulation was a little more than 30,000 at the start of publication, the figure in the past few years has dropped to about 20,000...
...Public debate forums have recently become more diversified because of the rising popularity of discussion programs on TV and an increasing circulation of cheaply published opinion paperback books...In June, a new biannual periodical, "Lost Generation," was published by Kamogawa Publishing Co. Called "Rosu Jene" in katakana, the self-claimed ultra-leftist magazine comprises debates on the themes of anguish, unease and the absurdities the young people of today face in everyday life...The e-mail magazine "a--Synodos" is distributed twice a week. "Synodos" is the Greek word for forum. The e-mail magazine calls into question the standard way thoughts are formulated and conveyed among the public. "a--Synodos" editor Chiki Ogiue, 26, said: "When a youngster says he or she dislikes South Korea, for instance, most established opinion magazines tend to brand such a person as a 'rightist youth'. The youths, for their part, can hardly figure out why such a linkage has taken place"..."Lost Generation" editor Daisuke Asao, 38, said: "Most widely read magazines are only venues of debates for university professors. [These types of magazines] fail to produce any language that could be conveyed directly to young people in various sectors of society...This sense of discomfort among the younger generation may be a major reason for the drop in circulation of "Ronza." All issues related to public discourse cannot be settled simply through this new media youth movement. "Ronza" editor Yakushiji echoes this point. "We welcome the new generation crafting a new dimension in public debates," Yakushiji said. "But we're also concerned that their style of discourse could form another trench closed to the the rest of the world"...more...
