West media in China, from the most respectable to most disgusted.

Just 20 years ago, VOA (Voice of America) is the most respectable media in China. VOA broadcasts in lots of frequencies(FM, AM, SW) and lots of dialects in China. 20 years on, as China becomes open and millions of Chinese go to west countries, most of TianAnMen protestor changed their minds. VOA becomes most disgusted media. Recently, VOA(China) hotline had to cancel its program halfway, because it was too embarrassed by audience's harsh criticism.

Today, China becomes more open and is most populous internet user country in the World, but CNN becomes the token of hypocrisy and intrigue. West media represented by CNN completely lost another generation in China.

West media changed medium generation mind, who ever embraced so-called west freedom, and lost another whole younger generation in China.

Does West deserve a 'fair go'?

"Today, China becomes more open and is most populous internet user country in the World" and also the most restricted. Give us a break and stop feeding us BS.

David

Robbieju,

I do not, nor have I ever, claimed "extensive experience" in China. I am not, nor did I try to pass myself off as a "senior lecturer", nor did I do anything so naive as to ask anyone to supply names and addresses of private contacts within China.

I do not "visit" China, I live here. I do not work as a journalist here but, as I said, as an educator. Though I do, from time to time continue to publish articles both here and overseas. I am not a political journalist. I am apolitical.

I considered I had made the reasons for my objections quite clear in my previous posts. Was I not clear enough? If not, please indicate where the confusion lies and I will re-state my position.

Ag Scientist

Good response. I have been enjoying this exchange, and shared your concerns about Romany whose name and reference to lecturing in journalism suggested a European lecturer in a Western University, not a Chinese teaching journalism in China as he now admits. His choice of pseudonym was apt - the language of the Gypsies travelling foreign lands.

Foreign journalists in China closely study the environment in which they operate. It requires intensive research into the media, government instrumentalities and policies and lays the groundwork to determine the veracity of media reports and leaks, and identifying the myriad of traps.

Teaching is a respected profession in China and takes teachers into varying
conditions throughout China, some good and some into extreme hardship conditions.

Teaching or journalism in China offers opportunities for rapid advancement, pay
increases and benefits provided one has the following qualifications. Proficiency in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Russian combined with a high level of computer literacy and party membership. The upgrade involves intensive training to expand and hone those skills. The new job is full time and part of a huge team constantly monitoring web sites to identify material considered damaging to China's image and to actively undermine the credibility of articles and comment regardless of fact. These are the teams that are of interest to Xiao Qiang, director of the China Internet Project at UCLA's Berkeley campus referred to by Arthur. Of course Romany would direct all students to study Xia's work.

These operations come under the direction and control of the CCP's Central
Propaganda Department and its Internet Propaganda Management Department. It
operates under no specific State law and is the sole office responsible for enforcing media censorship and control, and the regulation of propaganda inside and outside China.

Continued

Continuing

China's internet police monitor chat rooms, internet cafes and web sites to trap the unwary into disclosing names and links. A common tactic is for a small team to operate as individuals to discredit targeted articles and support each others comments.

Only the brave and those seeking change dissent, risking their jobs, property and physical abuse by this department and its enforcers. Casualties include Li Datong of the China Youth Daily, and just recently, Zhou Shuguang and his refreshing Golden Age Blog plus many more. Despite the risks, dissenter numbers are increasing.

Chinese journalists disclosing Propaganda Department directives to foreign media
can be charged with divulging state secrets and face severe consequences.

The average Chinese cannot be blamed for their views since they are reliant on strict state controlled media content and a heavily censored Internet.

When using text from the Chinese media and records, experienced researchers do so acknowledging that such text reflects official CCP policy, not necessarily the truth.

Mao made an art of exploiting the power of the media. The greatest demonstration
was suppression of the 1958 - 1962 Great Famine during which more than 30 million were estimated to have died of starvation during ideal farming conditions. It was only revealed in the mid 1980s by independent researchers who traced the events and cover ups of the tragedy. Other massive loss of life cover-ups included the Banqiao and Shimantan dam failures, Ankang floods and 253 dam collapses since 1991.

When Romany admitted he operated from China, I asked associates in China to log
onto Online Opinion and check out the battle - only got error messages. To avoid
being GFW-ed, Romany requires clearance to a government authorised link to bypass the GFW (China's great firewall).

Were you involved in Ordos II AgScientist?

Expat China Journo

Everyone needs courage and wisdom to find and accept the truth, both in China and West.

Before China designed its own internet DNS system due to explosive increased internet users, USA monopolizes global DNS system. Both China and West monitor the internet.

20 years ago, VOA is the most popular and respectable media in China. Most west media such as VOA spent a lot of money in China. 20 years on, CNN becomes the symbol of sinister and hypocrisy. "Be a man, don't be CNN" becomes the No1 fashionable internet language in 2008 in Chinese society.

Systematic constant diatribe China by West media using unproven allegations cost their credit. It is not China's internet policing that average Chinese distrusts west media. Considering west media's advantage and China's media's disadvantage(there are lots of professional anti-China protestor and dissenter supported by west), it is perfect right for China to take some restriction on some media. Actually, most media such as VOA, CNN are not restricted.

It is not human rights or democracy dispute between China and west. The dangerous point is that most Chinese become more and more weary of West preaching. Recently, most Chinese criticise CCP for its moronic propaganda and soft line to West.