May 10, 2011, 10:50pm
by Eriq GardnerNational Geographic Channel was originally scheduled to air a documentary on the Japanese mafia tonight. But the network pulled the show, Inside the Yakuza, after being sued by an American journalist who claimed the airing of the program could “literally be a matter of life or death” for anybody who worked on it. The network says, however, that it is standing behind the documentary and intends to soon announce a new scheduling date.
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Late last week, the parties came to some kind of agreement. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, but neither party will disclose the nature of the resolution.
A spokesperson for the network, though, says that the show will air at a new time, and without commenting on whether the show has now been modified. The statement reads: “National Geographic Television stands behind its program on the Yakuza. We have only one standard for our documentary productions and that is factually accurate programs. For the production of this program, NGT has acted according to the highest ethical and journalistic standards.”
Read the whole thing here.
We’re delighted that the parties came to “some kind of agreement,” especially if this means Mr. Adelstein’s life is no longer in danger.
But the resolution raises as many questions as it answers.
(See our earlier coverage here.)