Asahi Shimbun Admits "Sponsored Journalism"

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo via Japan Today: Asahi blackens magazine ad because it doesn't like its article
The Asahi Shimbun on Thursday published a partially blacked-out advertisement run by the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun that promotes an article of the magazine accusing the newspaper of engaging in black journalism. The move involves an article in the Shukan Bunshun's latest issue released Thursday about the Asahi having received "backdoor" money from consumer loan company Takefuji Corp...more...

[dimwit]

The last time I saw something like that was in my High School Newspaper, which had similar level of professionalism.

[Kuang_Grade]

I wonder how this came about...I can imagine the following scenarios

1)Asahi Ad Manager: Hmmm, we want their money but the bosses won't like a part of the ad...Let's blackout a part of it and see what happens.

2)Asahi Ad Ops: Damn, we're on deadline and none of the managers can find their balls and decide to kill the ad or run it unaltered. Better split the difference and black it out the questionable part.

3)Asahi Ad Manager: Screw those &#*$#s. Take their money, run the ad,-Ad Ops, darken the image and then blame them for sending a #($*$# up ad too close to deadline to make corrections.

I would like to think it was #3 but I suspect it was more likely #1

[American Oyaji]

maybe all 3.

Also I think that any info being dug up right now is being dug up by NHK

[Mulboyne]

Japan Times story here