Don't break the rules

Or else end up losing access to Tepco, it seems.

公開制約「社員保護の ため」＝時事通信、東 電に抗議書―原発事故 のテレビ会議映像

東京電力福島第１原発の事故後に行われたテ レビ会議の映像公開に制約を設けたことについ て、東電は６日、東京都内の本社で、公開に先 立ち説明した。出席した記者から疑問の声が上 がったが、同席した弁護士は「社員のプライバ シー保護を理由にした制限は妥当」と述べた。

東電本社の説明会には、１００人を超える報 道関係者が出席し、「何を根拠に制限するの か」といった質問が出た。同社広報部の栗田隆 史課長は「できることを開示させていただいて いる」と強調。事故直後５日間の約１５０時間 に及ぶ映像をチェックしたという寺島秀昭弁護 士は「映像は公開を前提に録画しておらず、主 な社員も公開を望んでいない」と説明した。

一方、時事通信社は同日、東電に「原子力災 害を起こした東電には重い説明責任があり、映 像公開の公益性や『国民の知る権利』を尊重す る観点が抜け落ちている」とする抗議書を提 出。同社の矢野伸一郎広報部長は「（映像に 写った）社員個人やその家族が批判、中傷にさ らされる恐れがあり、社員を守るための措置 だ」と回答した。

東電は約１５０時間分の映像公開を、同社内 での視聴に限定。視聴に当たっては、留意事項 として▽映像の録音や録画、撮影の禁止▽東電の 事故報告書に記載された役員らを除く社員個人 名の報道禁止▽従わない場合、視聴中止や今後の 会見参加を断る場合がある―といった条件を設 け、同意するよう求めている。

［時事通信社］

http://jp.wsj.com/Japan/node_490009

Publication restrictions for employees’ protection – Jiji News submits a letter of complaint to Tepco regarding the broadcast of televised meetings related to the nuclear accident

Tepco held a session at its Tokyo headquarters on the 6 th to explain the restrictions it placed on public broadcast of televised meetings conducted in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Questions were raised by the reporters in attendance, but lawyers for the company stated, “Restrictions based on protecting employee privacy are reasonable.”

More than 100 individuals from news outlets attended the Tepco briefing and repeatedly asked the question “On what basis are you restricting this?” Public relations section chief Takashi Kurita asserted, “We are releasing what we are able to.” Lawyer Hideaki Terashima who checked approximately 150 hours of footage from the 5 days immediately following the accident explained, “The video was not recorded for public consumption, and the main employees don’t wish for its release.”

The same day, Jiji News submitted a letter of objection to Tepco. “Tepco caused the nuclear disaster and therefore has responsibility to explain itself. The public interest in release of the recordings as well as respect for the ‘public’s right to know’ are being missed,” it said. Shinichiro Yano, manager of the public relations department, responded saying, “We fear that employees recorded in the footage and their families may be exposed to criticism and slander. This is a measure to protect those employees.”

Tepco has limited the release of this 150 hours of footage to within the company. Tepco asked for understanding of the following terms: forbids release of related audio, video recordings, and photographs; reporting the names of employees recorded on Tepco accident reports other than executives; possibility of refusal of further viewing of material or declining future interviews if previous terms are not followed.