Keizai Koho Center (KKC) held a meeting with Mr. Reed Stevenson, Senior Editor of Bloomberg, a U.S.-based global media company, as part of KKC’s activities to strengthen the external communication of Japan’s business community. Thirty-seven people took part in the event, primarily public relations staff responsible for external communications. The participants actively exchanged views with Mr. Stevenson, who has a long career and extensive experience as a journalist, on topics such as Japanese news value, communication between companies and the media, and strategies for engaging with global media.

Mr. Stevenson pointed out that the world is continuously watching Japan with great interest from a wide variety of perspectives. The presence of activist investors holding shares of Japanese companies reflects that they see value in Japanese businesses. He also emphasized the global admiration for Japan’s soft power, including its rich culture and appealing tourist destinations. Sharing his personal view, he stated that there are still many unique business models, products, and services in Japan that would bring even greater value to Japan if Japanese companies expanded them further into the global market.

Mr. Stevenson mentioned that Japanese companies tend to adopt a defensive approach when it comes to engaging with the media, and the trade friction between Japan and the United States serves as a notable example. This defensive approach can lead to a loss of control over the message, making it less likely that the original intentions will be accurately understood. To prevent such outcomes, Japanese companies should take the initiative to actively communicate their corporate values.

Mr. Stevenson underlined the significance of building trust between companies and the global media by following communication norms, such as interview protocol and off-the-record interactions. In terms of global media coverage, it is not important that a company simply developed and released a new product to the market. Global media are willing to report about new products and services with behind-the-scenes stories, such as why they were good, how they were developed, and how they reflect the company’s philosophy. Without these stories, there will be fewer opportunities to be featured in the news. The ability to create stories can be cultivated by regularly studying the examples of other companies through past articles.