Hustler's Ambition

Nikkei Net Interactive

The Japan Times

My latest revelation regarding East Asian media is that unbiased reporting, at least in regards to this subject, is merely a hoop dream. Even the best of resources only provide a portion of the picture. A myriad of resources must be used in order to get the complete story. In certain cases, even the most biased and regulated of resources can yield vital information. Take for example my review of the two Chinese financial sites listed in last week’ article. Even though the China Economic review is nothing more than thinly veiled propaganda, it can serve to be useful. In general, to understand a country’s economy, one must first understand the politics behind it. And there’s no better way than to visit a site run by the same people who make the policies. The Financial Times may provide a more rounded view of China, but being able to understand what the Chinese government is trying to project is imperative to making good investment decisions.

Another point I would like to bring to light came to me as I was perusing Japan’s financial media. It seems that even when valid, sources are available, information can be skewed nonetheless. Japan provides a perfect example of this. The Japan Times provides a very broad and comprehensive business section and the Nikkei Net Index supplements the world trader with numerous financial tools, but both have a single thing in common. They lack objectivity. Both praise Japan’s economic success, but none criticize. Japanese media is very highly regarded as both sober and concise, but its one greatest fault lies within its own culture, nationalism. To tie in with my previous paragraph, it takes a full range of resources to accurately assess the financial situation of a country. Even the worst sites may provide useful insight into the culture and society of a people. Society and culture are what drives a countries economy. They command the world of finances. Novel idea, huh?