The Asahi Shimbun Co. has apologized over a controversial tweet put up by a senior staff writer at its Osaka headquarters regarding the new coronavirus.
According to the company, writer Chihiro Kotaki posted the following message on his personal Twitter account on Friday: "Even though this isn't a war, the president of a superpower is terrified. In a way, the new coronavirus may be an exhilarating thing."
Kotaki deleted his account Friday night after third parties brought attention to the tweet.
In a message posted Saturday on Asahi's official Twitter account, the company said, "The expression "exhilarating" was extremely inappropriate and gave offense to many people, including people who have been infected and bereaved families."
Kotaki has reportedly said: "I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I deeply regret it."
According to the Sunday edition of the Asahi Shimbun, the company viewed the tweet as incompatible with its reporting stance and on Saturday revoked Kotaki's status as a "social media reporter" responsible for providing specialized information.
It said it was also inappropriate for Kotaki to delete his account without providing an explanation or apologizing. Asahi said it will enhance its training for reporters, to promote the appropriate use of social media.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
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