CFIEC Webinar "Considering Campaigning in the Age of Social Networking"

Date and Time: Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 14:30-16:00 (Streaming time)
Organized by: Center for International Economic Collaboration (CFIEC) - Digital Society Research Institute
Supported by: Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan (GLOCOM)
Lecturer: Kazuichi Sekiguchi, President, MM Research Institute (Moderator)
Shinichi Yamaguchi Associate Professor, International University of Japan
Yuji Suzuki President, Next Generation Media Laboratory
(Titles omitted)
Format: Online seminar (YouTube Live)
Capacity: 300 (Admission: Free)

Please register at the URL below.
https://peatix.com/event/4333383/

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Last year was also called the first year of SNS elections, and it is said that SNS such as X and YouTube had a significant impact on voters' voting behavior, as seen in Shinji Ishimaru's breakthrough in the Tokyo gubernatorial election in June and Motohiko Saito's upset victory in the Hyogo gubernatorial election in November.

The characteristics of SNSs include immediacy and propagation power that do not exist in existing media such as newspapers and television, a profit structure called the "attention economy," in which advertising revenue can be earned if attention is paid to it, false or misinformation, extreme information, and filter bubbles (in which algorithms focus access to what people like). It has also been pointed out that false or erroneous information, extreme information, and filter bubbles (in which algorithms focus access on what people prefer) may hinder voters from obtaining fair information at the time of elections. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that the reporting stance of some of the existing media has undermined public trust, and this may be one of the reasons why social networking services have come to influence people's voting behavior.

Hear experts' opinions on how information should be disseminated in elections, the foundation of democracy, and how it should be used in today's economic society, where social networking services have become widespread.

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1. 14:30-14:35 Opening, Introduction of speakers (Secretariat)
2. 14:35-14:50 Moderator introduces today's discussion points
3. 14:50-15:20 Presentations by two panelists
4. 15:20-16:00 Discussion and Q&A
5. 16:00 Closing

<Panelist Biographies
Kazuichi Sekiguchi
（Representative Director, MM Research Institute, Inc.
Graduated from Hitotsubashi University Faculty of Law in 1982 and joined Nihon Keizai Shimbun, where he was a Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University in 1988. After serving as English-language Nikkei cap, Washington correspondent, and cap for electronics in the Industry Department, he served as an editorial board member for 24 years from 1996, and as an editorial board member for 15 years from 2000, writing editorials on the information and communications field, etc. In 2019, he became President and Representative Director of MM Research Institute, Inc. He has also served as a commentator on NHK's international broadcasts, a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate School, and a visiting professor at Hosei University Business School. He is the author of "NTT 2030-nen sekai senryaku" ("NTT 2030-nen sekai senryaku"), "Pasokukaku kakumei no banner-bearers" ("PC revolutionary standard-bearers"), and "Joho sansaku jutsu" ("Information search techniques") (both published by Nikkei Inc.).

Shinichi Yamaguchi
Associate Professor, Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan
Born in 1986. D. in Economics. D. in Economics, specializing in econometrics, social informatics, and information economics, and has appeared and written extensively in the media, including NHK and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. His major publications include "Social Media Kaitai Zenkosho" (Social Media Demolition Complete Book) (Keiso Shobo), "Shoto wa Jie wo Shake wo Shoukaku na Hito" (The Identity of the 'Extremists' Who Wield Justice) (Kobunsha), "Why It Profits" (Soshisha), and "Flames and Word-of-Mouth Economics" (Asahi Shimbun Publications). He is also a concurrent lecturer at Waseda University Business School, an advisor to Siempre Corporation, a senior economist at Economics Design Corporation, an expert on the Nikkei Shimbun's "Think!" magazine, a board member of the Japan Risk Communication Association, and a member of the Nippon Television Broadcasting Corporation's Program Council. He has also served as a member of various government expert panels, including the Cabinet Office's AI Strategy Council, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and the Fair Trade Commission.

Yuji Suzuki
President, Next Generation Media Laboratory
Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1958. Media analyst and president of the Next Generation Media Research Institute. After graduating from the Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo, he joined NHK. After producing documentaries and other programs, he worked as a commentator at the Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, the Commentator Office, the General Bureau of Broadcasting, the Chief Director of the Programming Center, and the NSPE Secretariat before assuming his current position in 2014. He covers and analyzes how media senders, contents, and receivers are changing. He is particularly interested in how existing media and emerging media will cooperate with each other. His representative works include "TV Mirai: What 1,000 People Think About TV", a special feature on the 60th anniversary of TV, and "TV: 60 Years of Questions", a special feature on the anniversary of the broadcast of TV. He also contributes to online forums and Yahoo!

Webinar Office.
Center for International Economic Collaboration (CFIEC), Institute for Digital Society (Katoh, Matsuzawa, Kawachi)