The Japan Times published a story that, according to the newspaper’s editors, “disrespected the privacy and dignity” of figure skater Mai Mihara. The article speculated about Mihara’s weight.
Now, the Japan Times has unpublished the article and said it is reviewing the story that was headlined, “Rumors swirl around Mai Mihara’s poor health.”
In a note in place of the Jan. 21 article, the Japan Times said:
“The Japan Times has removed this story, which lacked editorial oversight and disrespected the privacy and dignity of figure skater Mai Mihara. We are conducting a further review into this matter.”
The article is still live on the Internet Archive. It commented on Mihara’s physical appearance and speculated on her health. The article further speculated, based on anonymous sources, on whether she had an eating disorder and spent most of the article focused on Mihara’s weight and eating disorders. The article closed by asking readers to pray for Mihara.
iMediaEthics has written to the Japan Times to ask what went wrong, if it was an opinion or news story, if any editors reviewed it before publication, if Mihara was contacted before publication, if she complained about the article and what the review will entail.