Oh, really?

What I love about the Press Law is the requirement that all news must be reported in a balanced and dispassionate fashion.

It seems that for the sake of thoroughness, this principle is understood to extend even to balance in terms of truthfulness.

A short while back--oh, let's say...Sunday--Kyōdō News was foisting this bit of malarkey upon the world:

S. Korea, China to Accept 1 Shrine Visit by Next Premier
Seoul Times

The Chinese and South Korean governments intend to accept one visit to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine by the next Japanese leader after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, but only on condition that no more visits are made during his tenure, Kyodo News reported quoting informed Japanese sources as having said on Aug. 13, 2006.

[Warning: The above link may present some return problems. For a 日本語 version, click here.]

Informed Japanese sources! Gosh, it must be true! Isn't it?

Sadly, no.

Shrine visit by next premier opposed
Kyodo

Updated: 2006-08-13 09:26 China has denied a Kyodo News report that the Chinese and South Korean governments intend to accept one visit to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's successor.

The report is "totally groundless," a spokesman at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo said late Saturday night. "The Chinese side's position on the issue of visits to Yasukuni Shrine where Class-A war criminals are honored is very clear and there is no change."

That's Kyōdō News, "Striving to Make UPI Look Almost Respectable"

Urrkkk!!! The Japan Times was talking to the same cabal of conjurers.

Either that or they are using Kyōdō News wire reports without attribution.

That would be bad.