Some thoughts on Western media reports on China
The Guardian, in a report on how the Chinese feel about the Great Firewall, quoted Fons as saying: "The west thinks that people here wake up every morning and think, 'Oh, I wish I had democracy.'"
I think Chinese blogger Topku would appreciate that the point has finally made its way to the "West". There were a number of times throughout this year that stories were made on the internet and blog's impact on China. Invariably, almost all of them were casted from a political angle: freedom of speech, censorship and the people's power in shaking the political status quo, etc. But the rights and democracy issues are not necessarily the most pressing for many ordinary Chinese whereas surrival issues such as employment and housing are. And if I understand it correctly, most Chinese people don't see the internet as first and foremost a tool for political change, although it certainly can have such impact. So why are Western media continue to frame such stories from a rights and democracy angle, some Chinese asked, when they are politically apathetic due to the system they are in.
This is a certainly a topic that needs more intercultural understanding.
I for one, actually like to read about the political impact, since I am interested in almost anything related to Chinese politics in general. I also think a lot of problems in China nowadays are systematic. Hence I continue to read with interest Western media reports on the forces of change and continuity in the system, as local Chinese press cannot really do that in their respective environment and I often don't know what to make of reports coming from "dissent" chinese news outlets.
But the Chinese point of view of how they should be reported (or represented) in the West is important and shouldn't be neglected. The point is having reports that are close to the reality on the ground (although increasingly, I am not sure whether that's attainable.)
Just some thoughts that are probably still in progress.
On a related note, Douglas commented on an earlier post, saying that: "some of the Chinese from the mainland have exchanged their view that people seem to just want to know the bad news about China, but on the other hand, bad news is what gets readers excited about China."
And my question comes again: should how a story is written (news agenda) be left to the reader to decide and shape; or should it be left to the journalist (editorial independence). Perhaps I shouldn't post it as an either/or question.
Update: Andres said: "This question of what people "really want" seems important to me and one of the current problems in China is that so many people self-censor themselves (in public at least) that it's nearly impossible to accurately say what people do want. Instead interested observers project our own attitudes on to others..."
I think Chinese blogger Topku would appreciate that the point has finally made its way to the "West". There were a number of times throughout this year that stories were made on the internet and blog's impact on China. Invariably, almost all of them were casted from a political angle: freedom of speech, censorship and the people's power in shaking the political status quo, etc. But the rights and democracy issues are not necessarily the most pressing for many ordinary Chinese whereas surrival issues such as employment and housing are. And if I understand it correctly, most Chinese people don't see the internet as first and foremost a tool for political change, although it certainly can have such impact. So why are Western media continue to frame such stories from a rights and democracy angle, some Chinese asked, when they are politically apathetic due to the system they are in.
This is a certainly a topic that needs more intercultural understanding.
I for one, actually like to read about the political impact, since I am interested in almost anything related to Chinese politics in general. I also think a lot of problems in China nowadays are systematic. Hence I continue to read with interest Western media reports on the forces of change and continuity in the system, as local Chinese press cannot really do that in their respective environment and I often don't know what to make of reports coming from "dissent" chinese news outlets.
But the Chinese point of view of how they should be reported (or represented) in the West is important and shouldn't be neglected. The point is having reports that are close to the reality on the ground (although increasingly, I am not sure whether that's attainable.)
Just some thoughts that are probably still in progress.
On a related note, Douglas commented on an earlier post, saying that: "some of the Chinese from the mainland have exchanged their view that people seem to just want to know the bad news about China, but on the other hand, bad news is what gets readers excited about China."
And my question comes again: should how a story is written (news agenda) be left to the reader to decide and shape; or should it be left to the journalist (editorial independence). Perhaps I shouldn't post it as an either/or question.
Update: Andres said: "This question of what people "really want" seems important to me and one of the current problems in China is that so many people self-censor themselves (in public at least) that it's nearly impossible to accurately say what people do want. Instead interested observers project our own attitudes on to others..."
