China continues critique of Western media

Teaching children about Tiananmen Square at a school in Lhasa

After arriving in Beijing on Monday the Olympic torch has now arrived in Kazakhstan as it continues its journey around the world [CCTV-9]. There was a carefully selected audience sitting in China’s Tiananmen Square on Monday to watch the proceedings. Security was tight with ordinary citizens and tourists kept well away from the large space in the heart of the capital [BBC]. Hundreds of ordinary people had turned up to watch the ceremony but many were disappointed as they watched President Hu Jintao light the torch from over 100 metres away. An elderly woman standing nearby expressed her frustration as she scanned Tiananmen Square, hoping to glimpse the celebrations. "I travelled especially to see this," the woman, who declined to give her name, told the BBC reporter. "I feel very let-down. Do you know how I can get in?"
Western broadcasters covered the lighting ceremony in Beijing with most placing the event in context with recent riots in Tibet and other provinces in China. Some also made references to events that took place in Tiananmen Square nearly twenty years ago and that ordinary Beijingers were being kept away [CNN]. The riots continue to dominate news bulletins on CCTV-9, but western news broadcasters have begun to focus on other issues. One particular focus today was a school said to have been targeted by rioters last month. According to CCTV-9 the school was returning to normal and showed pictures of Han Chinese and Tibetan children learning English. The youngsters recited “There are many people in Tiananmen Square”, but the irony was perhaps lost on both the broadcasters and the children themselves.

The other main focus of Chinese news media is the perceived media bias in the western press. CCTV-9 had 6 pages on their website covering the issue. And on CCTV-9’s programme Dialogue the two guests discussed some of the issues that have concerned many Chinese people. Dr Charles Lee, Chairman of Management and Technological Dept. at the Peking University, spoke of the lack of coverage following the organised visits to Lhasa. However, he failed to mention that the journalists were hand picked with many notable omissions. Sky News, the BBC, CNN and Fox News were all banned from attending the carefully orchestrated visit, and even print journalists were few in number resulting in the “minor reports” that Lee referred to. Shi Anbin , Asst Professor at Tsinghua Univ, said there had only been “sporadic reports” following the visits. There was no mention of the content of the “minor” and “sporadic” reports, perhaps to avoid raising issue of the disruption by Buddhist monks at one press conference.

Referring to perceived bias in Western media Dr Lee said it was a “natural reaction” for Han Chinese to be angry at some of the reports. Lee, who said he had lived in the West for 45 years, added that Western journalism had the tendency to sensationalize things, and that sex and violence were used to increase interest. Dr Lee said that the widespread criticism of Western media was partly due to “Chinese pride” but it had been fuelled by “internet interactivity”. The reaction to Western media coverage has resulted in many people posting their views on internet. One person that CCTV focused on was someone who had posted a video on YouTube under the name of NZKOF [You Tube]. It is ironic, however that YouTube remains blocked in China. Shi Anbin said that many people in China go to US and UK websites to obtain the truth but were “disillusioned” by what they found with “fake reporting”. The internet as a forum for debate was likely to grow, Dr Lee said. “It is only the beginning of such sentiment being expressed as China is already emerging as the largest internet user in the world” he added. But Dr Lee was partly defensive of some Western media saying that incorrect captioning and cropping was mainly due to the fast deadlines required in news media rather than deliberate prejudice. Shi Anbin said that many journalists did not check their sources and information. Though he failed to mention that Western media were unable to obtain permission to enter Tibet to film, photograph and verify reports until many days after the riots.
But Mr Shi added, “I wouldn’t say all Western media are biased. Rather than using CNN as an example of all western media we should judge case by case”.

CNN have disputed the allegations that their reporting was biased. They have released a statement, via their website that says: CNN refutes all allegations by bloggers that it distorts its coverage of the events in Tibet to portray either side in a more favorable light. We have consistently and repeatedly shown all sides of this story. The one image in question was used wholly appropriately in the specific editorial context and there could be no confusion regarding what it was showing, not least because it was captioned: "Tibetans throw stones at army vehicles on a street in the capital Lhasa."

Though Western media may often be biased, Chinese media can omit many aspects of a story adding to a more deliberate slant to the news. CCTV-9 also broadcast a story referring to an editorial in the China Daily which said the Dalai Lama still sought independence and wanted to “disrupt the Olympics”. But many of the issues raised are contentious and mentions none of the recent quotes from the Dalai Lama who has in fact said he does not wish to see a boycott of the Olympics.

The issues surrounding Tibet, the Olympics and China will continue to be reported; so too will the debate as to how it’s reported. Yesterday, both Chinese and Western media reported on an announcement by Chinese authorities that Tibetan suicide squads might launch attacks in China [CCTV-9]. But the arrival of the Olympic torch in Kazakhstan and Prime Minister Wen’s visit to Yunnan province to meet the ethnic Dai population gained barely a column inch in the West.