The 64th annual Newspaper Week kicked off Oct. 15 and will end this Friday. The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association held the first Newspaper Week in 1948 to remind newspapers of their social responsibility and to help people understand the role of newspapers. This year was marked by the unforgettable March 11 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear tragedies that devastated the Tohoku Pacific coastal areas.
Many newspaper companies themselves were impacted by the disasters, with both their facilities and employees falling victim. Still those newspapers continued to provide coverage of the unfolding events.
In the days shortly after the quake and tsunami, when power shortages plagued the disaster areas, residents there avidly read newspapers to get vital information. Those newspapers also utilized social media such as Twitter to report on disaster damage and to provide useful information to those who required help and support.