Giant lies about China
August 25, 2007
By Yuri Pines
The orchestrated wave of calls to boycott the Olympic Games in Beijing that began in the United States and moved on to Europe has recently reached Israel as well. Everyone is angry at China: the right, because it is ruled by the Communist Party; the left, because of the success of capitalist reforms there; and "the Western world" (and its disciple Israel), because China is so different, yellow and threatening. That is how it is in the West: Sometimes they hate Japan, other times they hate China (always the stronger of the two), and they cannot accept the success of countries where most of the inhabitants have never heard of the Ten Commandments and the crucifixion of Jesus in Jerusalem. It all combines to stir up an anti-Chinese wave: justified complaints (such as against the oppression of Tibet) alongside pure fictions (the extraction of organs from followers of the Falun Gong sect), as well as innumerable half-truths, half-understandings and unexamined cliches. All of the evil that happens in China - corruption, forgeries or environmental pollution - is certainly the fault of the "regime" and the "Communist government." (Only in the enlightened West are we able to distinguish between criminals and the country as a whole.) Every cliche is acceptable, without even a minimal need to check the facts. (These include the tens of thousands who are executed every year, according to a recent article by Uri Misgav in Haaretz, or the "100 million" Falun Gong disciples in other publications. Both of these numbers are sheer fantasy). In any case, those "yellow people" do not have a well-oiled public relations machine, so we can say anything we want about them without risking libel suits.
The critics have no understanding of the complexity of Chinese society, which is undergoing tremendous changes - more rapid and more extensive than anything humanity has ever known. The environmental pollution in China may be shocking, but remember that the developed, industrialized countries moved their polluting factories to Chinese soil. And how much does a Chinese citizen pollute compared with a European or an American? It is possible to bemoan the low wages in China, but it is also appropriate to note their rapid rise in recent years and the improvements in workers' rights, including those of "temporary workers" in the cities, that are taking place before our eyes. It is possible to thunder against China's large economic gaps, but it is also necessary to consider the regime's huge effort to improve the lives of villagers and the billions it has invested in recent years in village infrastructure and in eliminating taxes on farmers. It is possible to believe the reports of counterfeit and defective goods imported from China (such the Mattel toys recalled in August), but it is also worth noting the dramatic increase in the number of Chinese patents and inventions and the increasing protection of copyrights. China clearly has a very long way to go before it becomes a prosperous society, but no other country can match its success in dramatically improving the lives of hundreds of millions of people in recent decades. A bit of learning about China would not hurt anyone who wants to write about it. Sometimes it is a matter of ignorance, pure and simple; sometimes of cynical racism. When Mia Farrow and Steven Spielberg call upon China not to aid (even indirectly) the genocide in Darfur, one may ask: And what about your own country, the great United States of America, whose weapons proliferate like a plague in the Middle East, which has destroyed Baghdad, and whose machine guns have trickled easily into the hands of Shi'ite and Sunni militias? Do the U.S. and its citizens have the right to preach morality to others? Oh yes, I forgot. Americans, after all, are white, and therefore they are entitled to speak in the name of democracy and Christian compassion. It cannot be helped that the Chinese are too different, and therefore always guilty.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The writer is a lecturer on Chinese history and politics in the East Asian Studies Department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
The past two weeks (Aug 16 - Aug 31)
The past two weeks have seen me doing something interesting and relevant to my internship here. I proposed a story idea to Metro editor: the acupuncture and Chinese medicine in Minnesota. I'm glad that she gave me the go-ahead. I interviewed head of an acupuncture academy, its doctors in the clinic affiliated to the academy, some patients and students studying there. I was surprised that there are two such academies in Minnesota, which altegether churn out about 60 graduates every year, and some Americans like to receive acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatment, citing its effectiveness.
I've finished the story, which, if published, would be the longest one, if not the most interesting. I'v not had any feedback from the editor, but to me, it's a good opportunity to learn doing interviews (such as how to protect privacy of those patients and make them willing to share their stories with me), how to organize the materials I've got from the interviews, and how to structure the story, making it interesting.
Before writing, the editor gave me some tips as how to organize the story. They are good, but it turned out that I used my way of starting and telling the story, because I think mine is more relevant based on my interviews.
The process of doing the story helps me in structuring a feature story.
A by-product of the interviews is that I met a Chinese Qi-gong practioner, who introduced his clients to me. We had pleasant talks on Chinese culture, Chinese medicine, and its difference with the western medicine.
On Saturday (Aug 29) I visited the Minnesota State Fair, the major annual local event, where there were a variety of shows, food, exhibitions, markets, parade ... everything. It lasts until the Labor Day.
I've finished the story, which, if published, would be the longest one, if not the most interesting. I'v not had any feedback from the editor, but to me, it's a good opportunity to learn doing interviews (such as how to protect privacy of those patients and make them willing to share their stories with me), how to organize the materials I've got from the interviews, and how to structure the story, making it interesting.
Before writing, the editor gave me some tips as how to organize the story. They are good, but it turned out that I used my way of starting and telling the story, because I think mine is more relevant based on my interviews.
The process of doing the story helps me in structuring a feature story.
A by-product of the interviews is that I met a Chinese Qi-gong practioner, who introduced his clients to me. We had pleasant talks on Chinese culture, Chinese medicine, and its difference with the western medicine.
On Saturday (Aug 29) I visited the Minnesota State Fair, the major annual local event, where there were a variety of shows, food, exhibitions, markets, parade ... everything. It lasts until the Labor Day.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The past two weeks (Aug 01 - 15)
In early August, I wrote a short story on Minnesota's economy based on an index compiled by a university professor. It's published monthly and this time, it shows the Minnesota economic recovery is faring well, although it's still a long way ahead. It's like in China Daily where I have done numerous such index stories - analyze the index, contact experts for comment, rush to write it and submit it to the editor. This time, the editor reminded me of not using the word "crisis" to depict the US economy. Rather, it should be called recession or slowdown or meltdown or whatsoever. But not a crisis.
I had a chance to visit a friend of my friend Jerry in St Paul in the second week. Jerry's friend (a Chinese and a PhD in economics) runs a Chinese acupuncture and medicine institute, which has six clinics and enrol about 120 students in its four-year program. Most of them are young Americans. I was interested why Americans could be interested in such a mysterious science that has often been criticized of being unscientific.
I talked with the metro editor and decided to do interviews that could possibly lead to a story. I'll start it next week.
And the past two weeks were all about how to handle stories.
I had a chance to visit a friend of my friend Jerry in St Paul in the second week. Jerry's friend (a Chinese and a PhD in economics) runs a Chinese acupuncture and medicine institute, which has six clinics and enrol about 120 students in its four-year program. Most of them are young Americans. I was interested why Americans could be interested in such a mysterious science that has often been criticized of being unscientific.
I talked with the metro editor and decided to do interviews that could possibly lead to a story. I'll start it next week.
And the past two weeks were all about how to handle stories.
Friday, July 31, 2009
The past two weeks till July 31
It is said no one can predict what happens tomorrow. But I think I can - for one thing only.
I'll update my blog today, or I'll lose some 33 dollars tomorrow. :-)
Right after returning from Florida, I was asked to write a short story. It's a routine story on Minnesota's export decline in the first quarter. I did it routinely.
One small tip for my training plan may be that I learned from the editor that I need to add some background information to the story. I know that, but sometimes I forget to do it, which is unforgivable.
So I added a small paragraph about Minnesota exporters' performance last year to provide a context and comparison for the readers.
After the story got published, I got a message from my China Daily editor that I should fly to Washington D.C. to cover the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue. I asked for a leave from Katie and my host newspaper editor and flew to the D.C. It's a two-day event, but I've been there earlier to attend some pre-dialogue seminars as a preparation for the coverage of the formal meeting.
During the event, I published several pieces both for the newpaper and the website (some under the name of Bao Daozu, which literally means "reporting team" - we had three reporters, including me, in D.C this time). The real challenge is to rush to write stories within a short time. And it once again reminded me of the need to get knowledge of necessary background information before you start to write any story.
I'll update my blog today, or I'll lose some 33 dollars tomorrow. :-)
Right after returning from Florida, I was asked to write a short story. It's a routine story on Minnesota's export decline in the first quarter. I did it routinely.
One small tip for my training plan may be that I learned from the editor that I need to add some background information to the story. I know that, but sometimes I forget to do it, which is unforgivable.
So I added a small paragraph about Minnesota exporters' performance last year to provide a context and comparison for the readers.
After the story got published, I got a message from my China Daily editor that I should fly to Washington D.C. to cover the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue. I asked for a leave from Katie and my host newspaper editor and flew to the D.C. It's a two-day event, but I've been there earlier to attend some pre-dialogue seminars as a preparation for the coverage of the formal meeting.
During the event, I published several pieces both for the newpaper and the website (some under the name of Bao Daozu, which literally means "reporting team" - we had three reporters, including me, in D.C this time). The real challenge is to rush to write stories within a short time. And it once again reminded me of the need to get knowledge of necessary background information before you start to write any story.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The past two weeks (till July 15)
The past week at Poynter is so interesting that I almost forget what I did in the first week (forgive me).
In early July, I published a very short story on an economic index indicating the bottoming out of the mid-American economy. It has become a routine job for me, since I've done a similar one when the monthly index came out in early June. Not much to learn from it, also because it's too short. No space for me to write more and think more.
Before I left for Poynter, as usual, I read the newspapers, both print and online, when I had nothing to do. What I have focused was the Xinjiang incident in China, where the Uighurs and Han people were involved in mass killing. I read various reports from US publications to see from what angle they have tackled the topic and whether they have been "balanced" and "unbiased'. It's very important not for that I want to criticize them for alleged "bias" or "imbalance", but to learn from them how to avoid any problems in my future writing when it comes to such topics as Sino-US relations.
I found that many reports simply were technically flawed by quoting only one side and ignoring the other. Sometimes they quote the underquoted side simply to rebutt it by following it with more quotes from the opposite side. It's not only a bias; it's a purposeful technical crafting so as to achieve a result tilted towards one side.
Reflecting on my own writing in the past, I also made the same "mistake". Indeed, I made similar "mistakes". For example, I sometimes quoted those, although unconsciously, who support China's policies more than those who support US policies when reporting Sino-US economic relations.
Journalism would not promote peace, or virtually anything, in this world if journalists are biased by their own stances.
The reflection is good for both my training goal of business story writing and multimedia reporting, because without being balanced and unbiased, one could neither do good business stories nor quality multimedia reporting. While they try to grasp sophisticated, state-of-the-art techniques and tools, journalists sometimes simply ignore some basic and core values of journalism.
In early July, I published a very short story on an economic index indicating the bottoming out of the mid-American economy. It has become a routine job for me, since I've done a similar one when the monthly index came out in early June. Not much to learn from it, also because it's too short. No space for me to write more and think more.
Before I left for Poynter, as usual, I read the newspapers, both print and online, when I had nothing to do. What I have focused was the Xinjiang incident in China, where the Uighurs and Han people were involved in mass killing. I read various reports from US publications to see from what angle they have tackled the topic and whether they have been "balanced" and "unbiased'. It's very important not for that I want to criticize them for alleged "bias" or "imbalance", but to learn from them how to avoid any problems in my future writing when it comes to such topics as Sino-US relations.
I found that many reports simply were technically flawed by quoting only one side and ignoring the other. Sometimes they quote the underquoted side simply to rebutt it by following it with more quotes from the opposite side. It's not only a bias; it's a purposeful technical crafting so as to achieve a result tilted towards one side.
Reflecting on my own writing in the past, I also made the same "mistake". Indeed, I made similar "mistakes". For example, I sometimes quoted those, although unconsciously, who support China's policies more than those who support US policies when reporting Sino-US economic relations.
Journalism would not promote peace, or virtually anything, in this world if journalists are biased by their own stances.
The reflection is good for both my training goal of business story writing and multimedia reporting, because without being balanced and unbiased, one could neither do good business stories nor quality multimedia reporting. While they try to grasp sophisticated, state-of-the-art techniques and tools, journalists sometimes simply ignore some basic and core values of journalism.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Journalism and human nature
1. I'm all for a free press; it's the damned newspapers I can't stand. - Tom Stoppard
2. Western journalism is western; universal journalism exists only in theory. It is in reality very often distorted when people try to practice it.
3. When it comes to international journalism, journalism sometimes is but a tool to demonize countries which those who own the media dislike or want to collapse.
4. If communism is a devil (it is, isn't it?!), there's a bigger, much powerful devil in the west called journalism.
5. Human beings (including me) are fundamentally bound and guided by their bias no matter how democratic or open-minded they claim to be.
6. Borders exist also in the MIND (not only the eyes) of human beings.
7. Men are born equal, in theory; they are born different, in reality. DIFFERENCE: We must respect it instead of trying to eliminate it.
2. Western journalism is western; universal journalism exists only in theory. It is in reality very often distorted when people try to practice it.
3. When it comes to international journalism, journalism sometimes is but a tool to demonize countries which those who own the media dislike or want to collapse.
4. If communism is a devil (it is, isn't it?!), there's a bigger, much powerful devil in the west called journalism.
5. Human beings (including me) are fundamentally bound and guided by their bias no matter how democratic or open-minded they claim to be.
6. Borders exist also in the MIND (not only the eyes) of human beings.
7. Men are born equal, in theory; they are born different, in reality. DIFFERENCE: We must respect it instead of trying to eliminate it.
Monday, June 29, 2009
The past two weeks (June 14 - 28)
The past two weeks are interesting, but not much related to my training plan.
I had a chance to do a story on the local income statistics release in the early days of the first week. The procedure of doing stories here is similar with what I'm used to back home (interviewing researchers or professors and putting together the most useful information in a logical way), but due to my English listening problems, it's a bit challenging for me to communicate with economics professors through phone. The most difficult part, as always, is writing, which is no longer one with straightforward lead after the Internet rises nowadays. It took me two hours but I still failed to figure out an acceptable featurish lead. I felt ashamed (also, of course, guilty, in Gary's words). I had no way out and finally submitted my version to the editor, who made an eight-word lead for me. It's good, at least to me, not only for its succinctness, but its being meaningful. It may be the shortest lead under my byline: The first quarter wasn't kind to Minnesota's wallet (http://www.twincities.com/ci_12625456?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com).
The rest of the two weeks have gone as usual, with me reading the pioneer press newspaper trying to find out interest and thought-provoking stuff, discussing such topics as Iran with my colleages and reading books. I happened to buy a book called Bias, an old book by Bernard Goldberg published in early 2000s on liberal bias in the US media. I've glanced through some chapters and found it interesting and provocative.
I had a chance to do a story on the local income statistics release in the early days of the first week. The procedure of doing stories here is similar with what I'm used to back home (interviewing researchers or professors and putting together the most useful information in a logical way), but due to my English listening problems, it's a bit challenging for me to communicate with economics professors through phone. The most difficult part, as always, is writing, which is no longer one with straightforward lead after the Internet rises nowadays. It took me two hours but I still failed to figure out an acceptable featurish lead. I felt ashamed (also, of course, guilty, in Gary's words). I had no way out and finally submitted my version to the editor, who made an eight-word lead for me. It's good, at least to me, not only for its succinctness, but its being meaningful. It may be the shortest lead under my byline: The first quarter wasn't kind to Minnesota's wallet (http://www.twincities.com/ci_12625456?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com).
The rest of the two weeks have gone as usual, with me reading the pioneer press newspaper trying to find out interest and thought-provoking stuff, discussing such topics as Iran with my colleages and reading books. I happened to buy a book called Bias, an old book by Bernard Goldberg published in early 2000s on liberal bias in the US media. I've glanced through some chapters and found it interesting and provocative.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Past two weeks (until 14 June)
The past two weeks were not exciting at all for me, except for the Citizen Journalism Workshop on June 13. The workshop, organized by the Society of Professional Journalists, trained non-professional citizen journalists from all walks of life and offered a light for me as to how some ordinary Americans see and practice journalism.
The speakers talked about some basic journalism, such as ethics, media law, access to government information, writing, and use of technological tools in assisting reporting. I've rehearsed such skills as writing (how to ensure accuracy and clarity, and how to plan and structure a feature story) and gained new insight into getting access to public information in the US, the rise of twitter in reporting and how to avoid being sued in writing something potentially controversial.
Those topics were thought-provoking. For example, in China, we don't have a law as the Freedom of Information Act here. How should we gain access to government information that officials may not want to open to the public?
I spent the rest of the two weeks reading my host newspapers and talking with my colleagues, trying to figure out what's new and could be helpful for my home newspaper in Beijing. I've found the Pioneer Press, as many other US newspapers, has tried its best to interact with readers, seen from such columns as Watchdog, in which the reporters would respond to readers' need and help them solve some problems, such as failure to get social benefits.
The speakers talked about some basic journalism, such as ethics, media law, access to government information, writing, and use of technological tools in assisting reporting. I've rehearsed such skills as writing (how to ensure accuracy and clarity, and how to plan and structure a feature story) and gained new insight into getting access to public information in the US, the rise of twitter in reporting and how to avoid being sued in writing something potentially controversial.
Those topics were thought-provoking. For example, in China, we don't have a law as the Freedom of Information Act here. How should we gain access to government information that officials may not want to open to the public?
I spent the rest of the two weeks reading my host newspapers and talking with my colleagues, trying to figure out what's new and could be helpful for my home newspaper in Beijing. I've found the Pioneer Press, as many other US newspapers, has tried its best to interact with readers, seen from such columns as Watchdog, in which the reporters would respond to readers' need and help them solve some problems, such as failure to get social benefits.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
From Poynter: Why You Shouldn't Publish Alleged Carradine Death Photos
Posted by Al Tompkins at 11:42 AM on Jun. 10, 2009
Thai Rath, a newspaper in Thailand, has published a front-page photo of what it says is David Carradine's body hanging by ropes in a hotel closet. The actor was found dead in a Bangkok hotel last week. No doubt, the grisly photo, as well as an autopsy photo that's been surfacing across the Web, will generate lots of traffic. But they're not news. It's right to wonder whether they're authentic, but even if they are, I can't imagine a legitimate reason to publish them. ABCNews.com reported that Carradine's death could have been the result of a homicide. Some tabloids are saying the "Kung Fu" actor's death may be linked to some sort of Kung Fu sect. The feeding frenzy is just beginning.The Associated Press reported:
"A grainy photo published on the Saturday cover of the tabloid Thai Rath shows a naked body suspended from a clothes bar in a hotel closet, hands apparently bound together above the head and feet on the floor. The face is blacked out and other areas are obscured.
"The paper did not indicate the source of the image, but Thai police said they believed it was a picture of Carradine's body taken by a forensics team." You can imagine the heartbreak Carradine's family is experiencing. The family's attorney, who is threatening legal action for any U.S.-based publication that runs the photos, made news this week when he said the family wants private forensic experts to investigate the actor's death. Reportedly, there will be a second autopsy. Still, that does not make the death photos newsworthy.Freelance journalist John Le Fevre, who is based in Bangkok and who has worked for tabloids for years, pointed out in an e-mail to me that there is good reason to question the authenticity of the photo that Thai Rath ran.He wrote in an article this week that the photos circulating the Web appear to show a body hanging in a "...cheap closet. A bed is less than one meter away from the closet and the room has a wooden floor -- all hardly the stuff of a suite in a prestigious hotel such as the Swissotel Nai Lert Park." Just take a look at the hotel's Web site and you will see how luxurious the rooms are.I decided not to link to Le Fevre's article or any other site that shows the photos. It is easy enough to find them online if you want to see them. Whether or not the photos are real is only part of the issue. Even if they are real, news organizations have to make decisions about when it is appropriate to include graphic content on their sites. What's the reasoning behind these decisions? I have had many conversations this year with Web editors who say they include much more graphic news on their sites these days to help drive Web traffic. When some news organizations chose to use graphic photos of the death of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, my Poynter colleague Bob Steele explained how newsrooms should process a decision to show disturbing images. Steele said:
"Journalists have ethical obligations beyond seeking and reporting the truth about substantive issues and events. Journalists and their news organizations have a moral obligation and professional duty to show respect for human beings and compassion for those who are very vulnerable. The primary principle for journalists is to seek the truth and report it as fully as possible. But journalists must balance that principle with another principle that I call 'minimizing harm.'
"Journalism is inherently intrusive and invasive. There are many times -- in our obligation to be fair, accurate and authentic -- when we must tell the painful truth with words and images. But we should strive in our reporting techniques and publishing decisions to avoid causing unnecessary harm."
Thai Rath, a newspaper in Thailand, has published a front-page photo of what it says is David Carradine's body hanging by ropes in a hotel closet. The actor was found dead in a Bangkok hotel last week. No doubt, the grisly photo, as well as an autopsy photo that's been surfacing across the Web, will generate lots of traffic. But they're not news. It's right to wonder whether they're authentic, but even if they are, I can't imagine a legitimate reason to publish them. ABCNews.com reported that Carradine's death could have been the result of a homicide. Some tabloids are saying the "Kung Fu" actor's death may be linked to some sort of Kung Fu sect. The feeding frenzy is just beginning.The Associated Press reported:
"A grainy photo published on the Saturday cover of the tabloid Thai Rath shows a naked body suspended from a clothes bar in a hotel closet, hands apparently bound together above the head and feet on the floor. The face is blacked out and other areas are obscured.
"The paper did not indicate the source of the image, but Thai police said they believed it was a picture of Carradine's body taken by a forensics team." You can imagine the heartbreak Carradine's family is experiencing. The family's attorney, who is threatening legal action for any U.S.-based publication that runs the photos, made news this week when he said the family wants private forensic experts to investigate the actor's death. Reportedly, there will be a second autopsy. Still, that does not make the death photos newsworthy.Freelance journalist John Le Fevre, who is based in Bangkok and who has worked for tabloids for years, pointed out in an e-mail to me that there is good reason to question the authenticity of the photo that Thai Rath ran.He wrote in an article this week that the photos circulating the Web appear to show a body hanging in a "...cheap closet. A bed is less than one meter away from the closet and the room has a wooden floor -- all hardly the stuff of a suite in a prestigious hotel such as the Swissotel Nai Lert Park." Just take a look at the hotel's Web site and you will see how luxurious the rooms are.I decided not to link to Le Fevre's article or any other site that shows the photos. It is easy enough to find them online if you want to see them. Whether or not the photos are real is only part of the issue. Even if they are real, news organizations have to make decisions about when it is appropriate to include graphic content on their sites. What's the reasoning behind these decisions? I have had many conversations this year with Web editors who say they include much more graphic news on their sites these days to help drive Web traffic. When some news organizations chose to use graphic photos of the death of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, my Poynter colleague Bob Steele explained how newsrooms should process a decision to show disturbing images. Steele said:
"Journalists have ethical obligations beyond seeking and reporting the truth about substantive issues and events. Journalists and their news organizations have a moral obligation and professional duty to show respect for human beings and compassion for those who are very vulnerable. The primary principle for journalists is to seek the truth and report it as fully as possible. But journalists must balance that principle with another principle that I call 'minimizing harm.'
"Journalism is inherently intrusive and invasive. There are many times -- in our obligation to be fair, accurate and authentic -- when we must tell the painful truth with words and images. But we should strive in our reporting techniques and publishing decisions to avoid causing unnecessary harm."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Learning business story writing
I had a chance to shadow Julie Forster, reporter of Pioneer Press on employment, to report the release of unemployment figures on May 21. It was my first time here to shadow a business reporter. The process seemed simple and routine: We arrived at the meeting room, had a small talk with the business official and the release started. It's a kind of televised meeting, with some reporters calling in to ask questions. In China, it would be similar. But it turned out that the article is more interesting than I expected. Short as it is, it's not recording of dull figures and numbers, but a story told with a featurish lead to show the tricky time (the job market seems to be improving, but not for sure). In my home newspaper, we have tried to "tell stories" even when it is about drab economic figures while here I find featurish way of writing has become very common. It'll be a good learning process for me.
Part of my life here is to read my host newspaper to understand how they are doing stories. There is a series of stories about a Hmong young man who was shot dead by police. His families thought the police used "excessive force" to kill him. The newspaper has run a series of stories tracking the court hearings and jury ruling to show to the readers how the case is going by quoting both police and the dead man's families. What impressed me is the continuity of the reporting, which ensures readers know the whole process of what's going on. In those days, I often made a comparison between the case and the Deng Yujiao case － the No. 1 case now in China. I would think about what if I do the stories on Deng in China? What I can learn from the Pioneer Press series for doing the Deng stories?
On 28 May, I covered a Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce release of business vitality index, which compared the business environment of Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area with ten other major areas across the country. I've done a short story on that and is waiting for reponse from my editor.
The next day, I interviewed a professor of Concordia University of St Paul on the consumption habits of Africa-born immigrants in the US. Hopefully I'll go on to interview some immigrants and business people to see how those immigrants would have a bearing on local economy. I'll discuss it with my editor Monday.
Part of my life here is to read my host newspaper to understand how they are doing stories. There is a series of stories about a Hmong young man who was shot dead by police. His families thought the police used "excessive force" to kill him. The newspaper has run a series of stories tracking the court hearings and jury ruling to show to the readers how the case is going by quoting both police and the dead man's families. What impressed me is the continuity of the reporting, which ensures readers know the whole process of what's going on. In those days, I often made a comparison between the case and the Deng Yujiao case － the No. 1 case now in China. I would think about what if I do the stories on Deng in China? What I can learn from the Pioneer Press series for doing the Deng stories?
On 28 May, I covered a Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce release of business vitality index, which compared the business environment of Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area with ten other major areas across the country. I've done a short story on that and is waiting for reponse from my editor.
The next day, I interviewed a professor of Concordia University of St Paul on the consumption habits of Africa-born immigrants in the US. Hopefully I'll go on to interview some immigrants and business people to see how those immigrants would have a bearing on local economy. I'll discuss it with my editor Monday.
Mob attacks, beats news reporters
By Cai Ke (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-29 06:46
Updated: 2009-05-29 06:46
BADONG COUNTY, Hubei: Two reporters were attacked and beaten yesterday as they conducted an interview into the high-profile case of a woman charged with stabbing and killing an official.
"Four guys rushed into the house and started throwing our belongings out," Beijing News reporter Kong Pu told China Daily.
She had been interviewing the grandmother of Deng Yujiao, who is alleged to have killed an official while defending herself against sexual assault.
"They beat me and wrestled me to the ground," said Southern People Weekly reporter Wei Yi, who was with Kong in Yesanguan, Hubei province.
After the beating, three men escorted the reporters away, Kong said.
But when Kong went back to collect their umbrellas, she met another mob.
One of them shouted at her "How dare you come back," Kong told China Daily.
"Then they grabbed my mobile phone before pulling my ear and hair, slapping my arms," Kong said.
She called police after the second attack at 2:30 pm yesterday.
The reporters were escorted to the police station where they made statements about the incident.
The attack came two days after the government announced that Deng, 21, had been released on bail.
In a case that has sparked widespread debate and media attention, police say karaoke employee Deng Yujiao stabbed government official Deng Guida to death May 10 after he allegedly demanded sex and hit her with money.
Wei is asking police to investigate and punish the mob.
"We have arranged a task force to probe this case," Wang Haibo, deputy director of Badong government information office told China Daily.
"Yesanguan officials told me some scuffle took place when local villagers were trying to dissuade the two reporters from interviews," he said.
"If some people really did beat up the reporters, they will be dealt with according to law," he added.
(China Daily 05/29/2009 page4)
Reporters allegedly attacked over official-killing waitress story
By Benjamin Overton ()
Though Deng Yujiao, the 21-year-old waitress accused of killing a government official, may have been saved by the flurry of internet postings in her support, the same netizen fervor may be making it dangerous for reporters to get the full story.
Deng has become a sort of internet folk heroine after stabbing a government official who was allegedly trying to rape her. The dead official, head of a trade promotion department in Deng's town, is said to have demanded "special services" from Deng, thrown money in her face and pushed her to the sofa several times before she stabbed him with a fruit knife.
The case won the sympathy of many netizens, who railed against the actions of morally corrupt officials. Their anger was further stoked when local authorities toned down reports of the officials' activities. Presumably in a typically heavy-handed way to clamp a lid on the matter, reporters are now allegedly being attacked when trying to contact Deng.
According to Danwei, a recent twitter posting by Yang Xiao, a Southern People journalist, claims that one of his colleagues was attacked and kidnapped by thugs of unknown identity. The post, translated below, has now eclipsed even Swine Flu as the topic of the day on Twitter and its clones:
I am Yang Xiao, a Southern People journalist based in Beijing. My colleague Wei Yi was at Deng Yujiao's grandmother's home (at Yesanguanmulongya). When he was interviewing her, men of unknown identity beat him up and took him away (New Century Weekly journalist Kong Pu was present).
Additional reports are coming in quickly and seem to point towards a government cover-up. EastSouthNorthWest has compiled several reports which seem to back up Yang Xiao’s Twitter post. It translated a quickly "harmonized" report on the KDNet forums:
Southern People Weekly magazine reporter Wei Yi went yesterday morning to interview people at the home of the maternal grandmother of Deng Yujiao, which is located at number 8, Bridage 10, Mulongya village, Yesanguan town) and was assaulted by unidentified persons. He has been taken away by these people and held captive. At the time, Beijing News reporter Kong Pu was present. The last call from Wei Yi came at 1:27pm. Thereafter, his co-workers kept calling him but his phone was hung up immediately. The phone has now been turned off.After Beijing News reporter Kong Pu got separated from Wei Yi, a group of women came up to assault her while screaming: "So may be the guys won't beat up a girl, but we would!"
Another reporter said: The Yesanguan police station was called, but they refused to dispatch any officers. Then they actually disconnected the phone.
While the original post from Yang Xiao has disappeared, Twitter appears to be moving faster than government censors can follow. The tweet has been reposted countless times and is perhaps proving that Twitter, at least for now, is immune to government censorship.
The Deng Yujiao case is one of the newest examples of public opinion provoking government action in China. As the Associated Press notes, the case of Deng Yujiao is very similar to the case of Yang Jia, a Shanghai man who aroused public sympathy last year after confessing that he killed six police officers as revenge for alleged torture he had suffered months earlier.
Chinese outraged over arrest of pedicurist who stabbed lecherous official (from Times online)
May 27, 2009
The case of a pedicurist and lecherous official has galvanised public opinion in China.
Women’s groups, and even the conservative state All-China Women’s Federation, have demanded fair treatment for Deng Yujiao, 21, who stabbed a government official to death in the hotel where she worked when he demanded that she provide him with “special services”.
Civil rights organisations and many ordinary Chinese want an explanation for the arrest of a young woman who said that she was defending herself against the unwanted advances of the director of the local business promotion office.
They want to know why a Communist Party official was frequenting a hotel that offered massages with “special services” — a euphemism for sex.
Such is public indignation over Ms Deng’s fate that usually docile newspapers and websites have largely ignored a government directive ordering all reports to toe the official line.
The case is particularly emotive since it cuts to the heart of many of the most sensitive issues troubling Chinese society.
These include abuse of the law in favour of vested interests at the expense of the weak, and the rapid spread of the sex trade in a country whose Communist leadership prides itself on puritan values.
It pits the vulnerable, particularly women struggling to make a living, against the might of the state and the abuse of power. The most detailed account is in the Southern Metropolis Weekly and is based on Ms Deng’s conversations with her lawyer.
She says that on May 10, Deng Guida and another local official found her washing her clothes in the Xiongfeng Hotel. When she declined their advances, they tried to force her and slapped her over the head with wads of cash.
She said Deng Guida shouted: “Don’t you want money? You have never seen any money! How much money do you want? Would you believe if it if I beat you to death with money. I’m going to get a truckload of money and squash you to death.”
The two men ignored a hotel official who tried to intervene and pushed the girl back on a sofa. She drew a fruit knife out of her bag and lashed out. Deng Guida, 44, was killed and his colleague, also 44, was wounded.
The young woman called the police to the dying man and then waited. She was arrested for deliberate homicide. The charge triggered a public outcry.
Debate is raging as to whether she was acting in self-defence and whether that plea will be of any avail in court. Some have asked whether Mr Deng was using his own money or public funds to visit the hotel. The hotel says that its business has collapsed since civil servants have stopped visiting.
One internet commentator said: “Why do so many government officials like to make fun of the public? Don’t you know that with each time public trust in you is falling?”
Another wrote: “This case is not just about Deng Yujiao. It’s about the issue of trust in the Government, about the issue of public confidence.”
As the incident has dominated national debate for days, police have apparently put pressure on her mother to fire her two lawyers. The pair voiced their shock, saying: “We wish to express our strong indignation at the improper actions of the Government.”
Ms Deng has been released on bail.
Internet pressure
— Zhou Jiugeng, a government property official in central Nanjing, was fired after photos appeared on the internet showing him at a meeting smoking cigarettes costing 1,500 yuan (£150) a carton. He was tracked down by online vigilantes and sacked last December
— Internet outrage last November forced the dismissal of a senior Communist Party official after video footage from a restaurant security camera showed him shoving the father of an 11-year-old girl whom he had allegedly assaulted
— Online opinion swung behind Yang Jia, 28, a Beijing man who stabbed to death six police in Shanghai. Many felt that he had been unfairly treated and, since his execution in November, his grave has been kept under police surveillance in case supporters visit
— Internet users took part last February in an unprecedented inquiry after an online furore when a man died in police custory and the official report blamed his death on a violent game of “hide and seek”
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
China mourns quake dead on May 12
Incense burns as solemn China mourns quake dead
By Royston Chan Royston Chan – Tue May 12
BEICHUAN, China (Reuters) – Mourners crowded ruins in southwest China on Tuesday to mark one year since an earthquake shattered the region, while President Hu Jintao called reconstruction efforts a testament to national strength.
In Sichuan province, where the earthquake rippled out from Wenchuan County on May 12 last year, survivors and relatives filed into devastated towns to mourn loved ones among the more than 80,000 people killed.
Hu laid a wreath at a memorial in Yingxiu, a town near the epicenter wiped out by the quake, and called the vast effort to rescue survivors and rebuild the region a vindication of ruling Communist Party policy.
"During the quake rescue and reconstruction, the whole country has strived with one heart," Hu, somber and low-voiced, said in front of a stone carving of a clock showing the time -- 2:28 p.m. local time -- when the quake struck.
"The constant improvement of our national strength since reform and opening up began is the firm material foundation for our victory over the massive Wenchuan earthquake disaster," he said in the speech shown live on Chinese television.
In the weeks preceding the anniversary, official media have cast the quake as a patriotic milestone demonstrating the government's strength and commitment to people's welfare.
But for many families of the dead, the anniversary was above all a painful personal re-encounter with the frantic scenes of 12 months ago, when bewildered residents and ill-equipped soldiers struggled to save those trapped in homes, offices and schools.
In Beichuan, a valley town wiped out by the quake and nowadays usually empty and sealed off by guards, locals and camera-snapping visitors poured in after police opened the gates.
INCENSE AND ASHES
Many mourning residents lit incense and ritual paper money intended to comfort the dead. Ashes swirled in the blustery air.
"I feel the earthquake isn't over yet. Every time I see something about it, I feel like crying," said Zhou Ya, a 20-year-old woman who lost a brother and sister in Beichuan, as she lit incense and ritual money in its ruins.
For some survivors, the anniversary also drew bitter words about the government's reluctance to openly investigate buildings that collapsed in the quake, especially schools that fell while nearby offices and apartments stayed intact.
In Hanwang, a factory town ruined by the quake, mourners gathered at a mass grave on a nearby hill they said held thousands of victims, including workers and schoolchildren killed when their aged workshops and classrooms collapsed.
Parents of children killed in the Dongqi Middle School in Hanwang, like bereaved parents in many parts of the quake area, said neglect and poor standards contributed to the deaths.
That fury stoked protests in the wake of the quake. Ahead of the anniversary, razed schools and outspoken parents have been under guard by police and local officials.
The Hanwang school had been officially classified as dangerously dilapidated years before the quake, but wrangling over funds delayed plans to move the classrooms, according to parents and Chinese newspaper reports from last year.
"We came to remember our son. But this was not just a natural disaster. He died from people's actions," said Fu Xingneng, who said he believed his son Fu Cheng was buried in the mass grave.
Officials prevented any memorial gathering on the morning of the anniversary at Juyuan, a town where hundreds of children died in the local middle school, three parents told Reuters by phone.
"I feel there's too much control," said one of them, Zhou Liangping. "We just wanted to gather and remember our babies."
(Writing and additional reporting by Chris Buckley in Hanwang; Editing by Nick Macfie and Alex Richardson)
By Royston Chan Royston Chan – Tue May 12
BEICHUAN, China (Reuters) – Mourners crowded ruins in southwest China on Tuesday to mark one year since an earthquake shattered the region, while President Hu Jintao called reconstruction efforts a testament to national strength.
In Sichuan province, where the earthquake rippled out from Wenchuan County on May 12 last year, survivors and relatives filed into devastated towns to mourn loved ones among the more than 80,000 people killed.
Hu laid a wreath at a memorial in Yingxiu, a town near the epicenter wiped out by the quake, and called the vast effort to rescue survivors and rebuild the region a vindication of ruling Communist Party policy.
"During the quake rescue and reconstruction, the whole country has strived with one heart," Hu, somber and low-voiced, said in front of a stone carving of a clock showing the time -- 2:28 p.m. local time -- when the quake struck.
"The constant improvement of our national strength since reform and opening up began is the firm material foundation for our victory over the massive Wenchuan earthquake disaster," he said in the speech shown live on Chinese television.
In the weeks preceding the anniversary, official media have cast the quake as a patriotic milestone demonstrating the government's strength and commitment to people's welfare.
But for many families of the dead, the anniversary was above all a painful personal re-encounter with the frantic scenes of 12 months ago, when bewildered residents and ill-equipped soldiers struggled to save those trapped in homes, offices and schools.
In Beichuan, a valley town wiped out by the quake and nowadays usually empty and sealed off by guards, locals and camera-snapping visitors poured in after police opened the gates.
INCENSE AND ASHES
Many mourning residents lit incense and ritual paper money intended to comfort the dead. Ashes swirled in the blustery air.
"I feel the earthquake isn't over yet. Every time I see something about it, I feel like crying," said Zhou Ya, a 20-year-old woman who lost a brother and sister in Beichuan, as she lit incense and ritual money in its ruins.
For some survivors, the anniversary also drew bitter words about the government's reluctance to openly investigate buildings that collapsed in the quake, especially schools that fell while nearby offices and apartments stayed intact.
In Hanwang, a factory town ruined by the quake, mourners gathered at a mass grave on a nearby hill they said held thousands of victims, including workers and schoolchildren killed when their aged workshops and classrooms collapsed.
Parents of children killed in the Dongqi Middle School in Hanwang, like bereaved parents in many parts of the quake area, said neglect and poor standards contributed to the deaths.
That fury stoked protests in the wake of the quake. Ahead of the anniversary, razed schools and outspoken parents have been under guard by police and local officials.
The Hanwang school had been officially classified as dangerously dilapidated years before the quake, but wrangling over funds delayed plans to move the classrooms, according to parents and Chinese newspaper reports from last year.
"We came to remember our son. But this was not just a natural disaster. He died from people's actions," said Fu Xingneng, who said he believed his son Fu Cheng was buried in the mass grave.
Officials prevented any memorial gathering on the morning of the anniversary at Juyuan, a town where hundreds of children died in the local middle school, three parents told Reuters by phone.
"I feel there's too much control," said one of them, Zhou Liangping. "We just wanted to gather and remember our babies."
(Writing and additional reporting by Chris Buckley in Hanwang; Editing by Nick Macfie and Alex Richardson)
Monday, May 11, 2009
The past two weeks (from 26 April to 9 May)
Quite busy in the past two weeks, moving from one place to another. But it's rewarding since we fellows can have the chances to talk to different people on various occasions.
It's good that finally I finished my independently made story on food donation. From doing that story, I feel it has little difference doing interviews in the US and in China. The only issue for me is the language. I still need to hone my language to communicate smoothly with the interviewees.
The first week here in St Paul is busy and interesting. I met and talked with a lot of people, including the editor of Pioneer Press, website editor, my mentor, of course, and an insurance company manager.
I have also shadowed reporters on reporting a court hearing on bankers' fraudulence and the senate and house debate, public hearing in the city hall and a news briefing and law-signing ceremony in the State Capitol. So much for me to "chew and digest"!
What impressed me most is the openness of the US politics. A Pioneer Press reporter told me that the mayor's office is unlocked and anyone can just walk in and talk to him. And during the meeting of senators and house members, a large number of lobbyists would be waiting outside, looking for opportunities to lobby. It's something new to me.
It's good to learn from the Pioneer Press editor that they have launched a new magazine for targeted readers so that they can make money from advertising amid the slumping economy. It has broken even! It has also launched a new website for the local moms. Such a targeted market moves serve as a valuable lesson for my newspaper back in China.
It's good that finally I finished my independently made story on food donation. From doing that story, I feel it has little difference doing interviews in the US and in China. The only issue for me is the language. I still need to hone my language to communicate smoothly with the interviewees.
The first week here in St Paul is busy and interesting. I met and talked with a lot of people, including the editor of Pioneer Press, website editor, my mentor, of course, and an insurance company manager.
I have also shadowed reporters on reporting a court hearing on bankers' fraudulence and the senate and house debate, public hearing in the city hall and a news briefing and law-signing ceremony in the State Capitol. So much for me to "chew and digest"!
What impressed me most is the openness of the US politics. A Pioneer Press reporter told me that the mayor's office is unlocked and anyone can just walk in and talk to him. And during the meeting of senators and house members, a large number of lobbyists would be waiting outside, looking for opportunities to lobby. It's something new to me.
It's good to learn from the Pioneer Press editor that they have launched a new magazine for targeted readers so that they can make money from advertising amid the slumping economy. It has broken even! It has also launched a new website for the local moms. Such a targeted market moves serve as a valuable lesson for my newspaper back in China.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
