Mainichi English edition to re-launch as ‘more news-oriented site,’ removes article archive

Sweetwater’s demand is that Ryann should be held accountable.
Regardless of his substantial title, it is true he had an authority as to which article should be translated.
I for one don’t think he needs to publicly defend what he has done—I just want him to use his brilliant skill as a translator for something better— but it is not an unreasonable argument that he should because he had editorial power. In a way, Ryann himself might want to do the explanation to dismiss the allegations he received.
And I don’t call it “lynching”

Ponta, I’m glad you are finally wondering whether he received death threats. Last time you doubted the claim because you couldn’t find one on 2ch

I am not the one who argued that way. I asked where SMH got the information. The article didn’t specify the source. It says, Ryann was unable to comment, it didn’t say that she got the information from the police, but it just says that “the Herald understands he has received several death threats”.

Fortunately, the police probably recognize that death threats don’t just come through 2ch.

So did you get the information from the police? or is it another speculation to defend Cornell by using a victim card?
Anyway I am asking Mainich if there were death threats to him;if there were, Mainichi should publicize it to defend him. If there were not, Mainichi should protest SMH because the article will provide the pretext to bash Ryann for insuniating to the writer that he was just a helpless victim.

Ponta, Sweetwater claims the “Mainichi Shimbun repeatedly referred to Ryan Connell as a “staff writer” in order to downplay the WaiWai Scandal and didn’t reveal his name. This time, under the intense pressure from the Japanese public, the Mainichi finally admitted that the staff writer was actually the chief editor of the Mainichi Daily News”

He continues to hold him responsible despite, I repeat, the paper making clear the title “was not an official one in the corporate hierarchy”. Connell is not an executive, he is an employee. I don’t recall people clamouring for employees to be held responsible over and above their managers in any other corporate scandals such as the those in the food industry. Why the exception in this case?

Ponta, you say that you didn’t raise any doubt that Connell had received death threats and only mentioned someone else’s claim that no threats had appeared on 2ch. Why draw attention to that the claim if not to raise doubt that threats had been made?

You say that if threats were made then the Mainichi should publicize them. When the Mainichi last attempted to counterattack by defending their female employees, they were accused of being insincere in their apologies. I can well imagine that they may fear the same mistrust of their motives. After all, you are an intelligent and reasonable person but even you wonder whether suggesting there have been death threats is “to defend Cornell by using a victim card”.

I note again that not one of Connell’s managers, held responsible by the paper, has once been mentioned by name here. If you don’t call it a lynching, what would you call it?

He continues to hold him responsible

He IS responsible: he cannot shirk the responsibility.
He received the complaints several times and he had the editorial power.
But the opinion as to the way he should take the responsibility varies from person to person. I deem it best that he will use his talent for something better and probably that is the way he should meet the responsibility. Sweetwater’s argument is that if he is a journalist of integrity, the way he should take the responsibility is that he come forward and explain what he has done publicly. That is not an unreasonable argument.

Ponta, you say that you didn’t raise any doubt that Cornell had received death threats

I didn’t say that. I am not a reader of 2 channel. And I didn’t argue since there was no death threat on 2 channel, there was no death threat. I RAISED a doubt as to the source. I am asking how you knew there were death threats, I am asking if it is just a writer on SMH and your speculation, whatever the motivation for the speculation.

When the Mainichi last attempted to counterattack by defending their female employees, they were accused of being insincere in their apologies.

As far as I know, some Japanese asked, as a criticism to Mainichi, whether Mainich female employee were prostitutes if the female Japanese were prostitutes as WaiWai article said. Against that, Mainichi threaten to take an legal action.
As I understand it, the point was

自分も被害者だと言ってしまうのでは納得を得られない
it is not convincing to counterattack, saying that we are the victim too.

This criticism is valid to some extent. But it does not follow that Mainichi should not defend Ryann Cornell and others if there were death threats. I would blame Mainichi if it didn’t defend gajin employee provided that there were really death threats to him as SMH “understands”.

I note again that not one of Cornell’s managers, held responsible by the paper, has once been mentioned by name here. If you don’t call it a lynching, what would you call it?

Mainichi didn’t cite his name, and most of comments on JP by people who are critical of Waiwai such as me and Mozu accused Mainichi, not Ryann. I call the comments that blamed Ryan “criticism ”
Using the word “lynching” will make it look as if you wanted to use a victim card for Cornell to write off his responsibility.

Personally I thought WaiWai was a minor problem;all Mainichi had to do, in my opinion, was to make it clear that the original articles were from dubious sort of unreliable tabloids and Mainichi was not violating the copy right. As I see it, that is roughly all Mozu and other English writers demanded of Mainichi, but Mainichi ignored the complaints.

Some people who had been critical of Mainichi used this opportunity to bash Mainichi.
Some people who had been fans of Hentai articles felt their freedom of expressions–freedom to send and receive any information— was violated by the protest and overreacted in the worst timing.
Some people who support Ryann Cornell, who chose and translated and edited the articles, felt he was unfairly bashed and talk as if he had been a victim of the circumstance and he was a victim of aggressive mob but I think that is an overstatement.

The overreactions will get us nowhere.