"How
can obvious homicide and arson committed by a few law-breakers be cited as
'peaceful protest,' and how can the frenzied assault on
law-enforcement personnel who failed to hit back when attacked be called the
suppression of Tibetans by the Chinese government? ... In
regard to the March 14 incident, there is a striking contrast between reports
in the West and in China, and ours are much closer to being based on the
evidence. ... We say that China's media reports are much closer to the
objective reality than those in the West. This is a judgment based entirely on
the facts."
Western media
have been "lecturing" us of late. On March 14, an act of serial
criminality involving assaults, the destruction of property, looting and arson
took place in Lhasa, with Western media paying extraordinary attention. These
media outlets are, among others, Agence France Presse, RTL and NTL
of Germany, the British Broadcasting Corporation of Britain, and the Washington
Post and CNN of the United States.
The mass of
readers and viewers, nevertheless, can hardly fathom these lengthy reports: How
can obvious homicide and arson committed by a few law-breakers be cited as
"peaceful protest," and how can the frenzied assault on
law-enforcement personnel who failed to hit back when attacked be called the
suppression of Tibetans by the Chinese government?
Even worse, CNN
host Jack Cafferty maliciously attacked Chinese products as "junk,"
and the Chinese people as, "basically the same bunch of goons and thugs
they've been for the last 50 years." He simply curses and swears,
"like a shrew letting loose a stream of abuse in the street."
[Editor's Note: A shrew is defined as an ill-tempered woman.]
Therefore,
ordinary people in China can no longer stand what Western media have been
doing. Hence, Chinese have been quietly collecting and sifting through huge
amounts of ironclad proof, and have replied with a forceful rebuttal that has
exposed the false reports of the Western media. Meanwhile, nationals of Chinese
origin and Chinese expatriates and students have held mammoth but peaceful and
virtuous protests and demonstrations in the United States, Britain, Germany and
France to protests the distorted reporting of Western media.
The rebuttal by
Chinese Netizens and the protests of Chinese expats (and students) around the
world have been unprecedented, both in terms of scale and effect - and they
far-exceeded the expectations of those cocky, arrogant media people in the
West. That said, I would very much like to raise two questions for people to
dwell upon.
Posted by
WORLDMEETS.US
First, how is one
to recognize the much vaunted and flaunted objectivity and fairness said to be
so important to freedom of the press? It is a question of theory. People with
journalism careers in the West have claimed all along that they practice press
freedom, whereas no such freedom exists China. During their news coverage,
Western media regularly underscore objectivity and fairness; whereas in China
there is said to be only propaganda or preaching. So over the passage of time,
some of my colleagues find it difficult to boldly and confidently give their
views, which are that theory should guide practice.
In the light of
some mainstream Western media reports on the incident that occurred in Lhasa on
March 14, one must conclude that there is a world of difference between what
they say and what they do. It seems that in the West, "press freedom"
means the "freedom to spread rumors," the "freedom to tell
lies," the "freedom to make distortions," the "freedom to
"vilify" and the freedom to "spread slander." If news
reporters don't respect basic facts, how can they talk so glibly about
"objectivity and fairness"?
Secondly, when
comparing China's news reports to their American counterparts, which get closer
to objective reality? We often hear friends from the West say that what they
see in China differs tremendously from media reports in their own countries.
This too, is used as of form of evidence by some Western politicians, who often
attack China during election races, but when in power, they draw much closer to
China.
Apparently in
regard to the March 14 incident, there is a striking contrast between reports
in the West and in China, and ours are much closer to being based on the
evidence. Which is why we say that China's media reports are much closer to the
objective reality than those in the West. This is a judgment based entirely on
the facts.
When I was a
university professor of professional journalism, I tried hard to discuss this
subject [objectivity], but found it difficult to approach in-depth. I also
discovered that most of my students had an inadequate understanding in this
regard. But what we learned over the Internet on this occasion has enabled even
average people, let alone students of journalism, to acquire an in-depth
understanding. Indeed, this gives me joy from the bottom of my heart.
And this
achievement must be ascribed to some Western media, as they have given us such
a varied, lively and incisive "lesson," and given it free of charge.
*By Shen
Xinggeng, Senior Desk Editor
[Editor's Note: Reporters Without
Borders rates China's media as "Situation Very Serious "].
SEE ALSO:
People's Daily, People's Republic of China Jack Cafferty's
'Dark Mentality'
