The world public opinion field dominated by Western media is full of distorted reports on China. The Chinese media try their best to speak out and correct the audio-visual, but they are hyped by foreign media as a "Chinese media threat theory".
New York Times: When the new crown epidemic hit, China was ready to tell its own story
On May 9, local time, the New York Times published an article saying that China has been using its own funds and power to try to create a A global media solution that rivals the BBC and CNN.
The New York Times recently published an article saying that China is creating an alternative to a global news media dominated by outlets like the BBC and CNN, and to insert Chinese money and power into the media in almost every country in the world.
Author Ben Ben Smith revealed in the article that the International Federation of Journalists (International Federation of Journalists) will release an report on May 12, telling how China has expanded its media influence in global of.
First, the author lists a series of so-called "shocking" (astonishing) phenomena. For example, China has simultaneously launched the English and Serbian versions of China Daily; a reporter from the Philippines estimated that more than half of the reports from the Philippine news agency came from Xinhua News Agency and so on.
China Daily in Seattle, United States Box image source: Reuters
In addition, this report renders positive reports related to China during the new crown epidemic as part of China’s diplomacy, but ignores China’s active anti-epidemic measures against other countries Helping Facts:
"As the pandemic started to spread, Beijing used its media infrastructure globally to seed positive narratives about China in national media..."
"As the pandemic started to spread, China used its media infrastructure globally to seed positive narratives about China in national media..." channel, disseminate positive reports related to China in national media..."
The report found that a new media push accompanied the intense round of Chinese diplomacy in the pandemic, providing protective equipment initially and then vaccines to countries around the world.
report It is believed that China's violent diplomacy during the new crown epidemic was accompanied by a new round of media propaganda, first providing protective facilities to countries in the world, and then providing the vaccine.
More ironically, the author mentioned in the article that "China suppresses foreign media and does not issue visas to and American reporters":
China has also cracked down on foreign correspondents inside its borders... and denying visas to American reporters, including Most of the New York Times bureau.
China also cracks down on foreign journalists within its borders...and refuses to issue visas to American journalists, including most of the New York Times bureau reporters.
The reason for not mentioning the matter at all is that since 2018, the United States has indefinitely delayed and even refused visas for more than 20 Chinese journalists, and registered Chinese media in the United States as "foreign agents" and listed as "foreign missions". In March last year, 760 Chinese journalists in the United States were expelled in disguise, and the visa stay period for all Chinese journalists in the United States was reduced to no more than 90 days.
Foreign netizens:
Shouldn't different voices be encouraged?
It is worth mentioning that many foreign netizens have seen the prejudices and problems inherent in the Western media behind this article.
CNN, the New York Times, the BBC and the like cannot be called global media. They are the Western media distributed around the world. You guys can't represent global sound . You can only represent part of the Western voice. Be a little self-aware.
China has every right to tell its own story. The world has been dominated by Western media for far too long. Shouldn't we encourage all different voices?
As we all know, the BBC and CNN are propaganda tools.
Congratulations! This is exactly what we like to see. I hope one day the world can break the public opinion controlled by the western media.
The only way the BBC and CNN can continue to lie to their target audiences is to ensure that those audiences cannot hear other voices.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded:
The world should not be just CNN and BBC
At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 11, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying said in response to a reporter's question related to this article, the report To say the report sees China as spreading positive narratives about China globally feels like a nod to the work of Chinese journalists.
The part concerning positive narratives about China sounds like recognition for Chinese media workers.
Then, she made some preliminary responses with five points:
First, the world is rich and diverse, and in the field of media, CNN and BBC should not be the only ones , every country should have its own voice. As a country with a population of 1.4 billion, nearly one-fifth of the world's total population, a 5,000-year-old civilization, the world's second largest economy and the largest developing country, China certainly deserves and deserves its own place in the international public opinion landscape. .
First, the world is a diverse and colorful place. In the media sector, instead of having CNN and BBC only, countries should all have their own voices. China has an uninterrupted civilization that dates back over 5000 years ago. Today, China is the world's second largest economy and the biggest developing country with 1.4 billion people, nearly one fifth of the world's total. Of course we should have and we deserve a place in the international media landscape. Under the guise of "freedom", they recklessly attack China with disinformation. On the other hand, they put ideology above the principle of objective truth, and use to smear and suppress Chinese media to "defend" their political operations. This is naked public opinion or discourse hegemony. In the face of wanton smear attacks and rumors and lies against China, of course China needs to make its own voice, explain the truth on a series of important issues involving the new crown pneumonia epidemic, and leave an objective and true collective narrative and memory of mankind. A responsible state is truly responsible.
Second, by abusing discourse hegemony, the US has launched a disinformation attack on China under the pretext of media freedom. In the meantime, the US is letting ideology override the principles of objectivity and authenticity and justifying its political manipulation of cracking down on Chinese media through denigration. Such moves are barely-veiled media hegemony or discourse hegemony. In the face of lies and rumors to smear and attack China, it is only natural to make our own voices heard. China truth and facts on many important issues including COVID -19 to leave an objective and right collective narrative and memory for mankind. This is what we call a responsible attitude from a responsible country.
Thirdly, the Chinese people emphasize that people can't stand up without faith, and they can't thrive without faith. Do not do it to people. Chinese media reports on the principle of objectivity and truth, and does not concoct or spread false information against other countries. I saw that the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the "Strategic Competition Act of 2021", proposing to spend $300 million a year to spread negative information to discredit China. In contrast, the "New York Times" report mentioned that China sometimes provides some countries' media with some help in anti-epidemic materials at all, and there is absolutely no influence, infiltration or propaganda.
Third, the Chinese people honor credibility, which is important to who you are and what you do. We also believe that people should not do to others what they do not want others to do to themselves. Chinese media make coverage in an objective and never concoct or disseminate disinformation targeting other countries. I have noted that the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Strategic Competition Act of 2021, which authorizes $300 million to be appropriated for each fiscal year to "counter the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party globally" . If you bear this figure in mind, then the anti-epidemic supplies China offered to some media agencies are basically nothing, not even bordering influence, infiltration or propaganda.
Fourth, different countries have different systems, so how the media operates will naturally be different . To evaluate the professionalism of a media, the most important thing is to see whether it can abide by the professional ethics of journalism and whether it can report objectively and impartially. Xinhua News Agency is an internationally renowned news organization with a history of nearly 90 years. According to the operating rules of the news agency, it provides authoritative and professional news information to various users around the world. I think the cooperation between Xinhua News Agency and other countries' news organizations is no different from the cooperation between the Associated Press, Reuters, AFP , Kyodo News and news organizations from all over the world. Just because Xinhua News Agency belongs to China, a socialist country, should not deny Xinhua News Agency and other Chinese media's due rights to news exchanges and cooperation. To accuse Xinhua News Agency and other Chinese media of conducting normal news and information exchanges and cooperation with other countries' news agencies for this reason is itself a form of ideological prejudice and political discrimination.
Fourth, due to difference in systems, media outlets in different countries operate in different ways. When evaluating whether a media organization is professional, the most important thing to refer to is whether it abides by journalism ethics of being objective and just in its reporting. The Xinhua News Agency is a world-renowned agency with nearly 90 years of history. Following customary operation rules, it provides authoritative and professional news service to global users. Its cooperation with other news agencies is no different from that of AP, Reuters, AFP , Kyodo with others. No one can deprive Chinese media like Xinhua their right to exchange and cooperation just because it is from China, a socialist country. Accusing Xinhua of engaging in exchange and cooperation with other agencies based on this alone is some sort of ideological bias and political discrimination.
According to the logic in the report, Xinhua News Agency, China Daily and other Chinese media belong to the Chinese government , and serve the interests of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, so CNN and other media belong to some media that monopolize private capital, and their services may be It is only the interests of very few people or interest groups. Is it understandable?
Following the logic in the report, Chinese media including like Xinhua and China Daily are owned by the Chinese government and serve the interest of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. Then, perhaps CNN and other media owned by monopoly private capital serve the interest of a few or interest groups. Can we come to this conclusion?
Fifth, accusing China of suppressing foreign media and not granting visas to American journalists is a complete inversion of right and wrong.The fact is that since 2018, the United States has indefinitely delayed or even refused the visas of more than 20 Chinese journalists, registered Chinese media in the United States as "foreign agents" and listed them as "foreign missions", and expelled 60 Chinese journalists in disguise last March. U.S.-based journalists have also reduced the visa stay period for all Chinese journalists in the U.S. to no more than 90 days. That means having to reapply for a visa extension every three months, with an additional visa fee of $490 each time. The visa extension applications submitted by Xinhua News Agency and people. reporters in the United States at the beginning of November last year have not been approved. According to the regulations of the United States, they have been forced to stop working since the beginning of February. Among them, the reporters of Xinhua News Agency have been forced to return to China on May 1. . There are many other Chinese journalists who often wait for the visa extension for approval, but must immediately apply for the next round of visa applications. Therefore, Chinese journalists stationed in the United States are in a state of great uncertainty in the United States, which brings great uncertainty to their normal work and even their lives, and has a serious negative impact.I would like to ask friends from foreign journalists stationed in China to ask themselves, what kind of treatment do you get in China? How would you feel if the U.S. treatment, measures, and means of treating Chinese media reporters in the U.S. fell on you?
Fifth, it is a complete distortion of facts to accuse China of suppressing foreign media and denying US journalists visa. The fact is that since 2018, the US has indefinitely delayed or denied visa approval for 20 Chinese journalists. It designated US-based Chinese media as "foreign agents" and "foreign missions", expelled 60 Chinese journalists in all but name, and limited visas for Chinese journalists to a maximum 90-day stay. That means they have to apply for an extension every three months and pay $490 for it each time. The visa extension applications submitted by Xinhua New Agency's and People's Daily's correspondents in early November 2020 haven't been approved yet. Following the US rules, they have stopped working since early February. The Xinhua correspondent was forced to return to China on May 1. Besides, many Chinese journalists whose applications were finally approved found that when the notice came, the validity period was almost up, which means they had to start a new round of application right away. All these have put US-based Chinese journalists in great uncertainty and severely affected their work and life. You may ask yourselves, how have you been treated in China? If China were to treat foreign journalists like the US, how would you feel?
In response to the unreasonable suppression by the US, China is forced to make necessary, legitimate and reasonable responses. However, we have so far not taken countermeasures against the US indiscriminately shortening the visas of all Chinese journalists in the US to no more than 90 days.Even during the epidemic, we tried every means to help some American journalists and their families who were stranded abroad to return to China. Even when the U.S. side has delayed visa extensions for Chinese journalists in the U.S., we still provide support and assistance to all foreign journalists in China, including U.S. media, in their work and life, and their coverage in China has not been affected in any way. In fact, on the visa issue, most of the press cards of nearly 500 foreign journalists in China are valid for one year. This fact is very clear, and I hope relevant media reporters can view it objectively and rationally.
China has no other choice but to make necessary and legitimate responses to the wanton US suppression. We exercised the utmost restraint and has not yet retaliated against the US measure to slash Chinese journalists' visa stay to a maximum of 90 days. After the outbreak of COVID-19, we did what we could to overcome difficulties and help China-based American journalists and their families stranded overseas to return to China. Even though the US refuses to grant Chinese journalists visa extension, we still offer support and assistance to American journalists working in China like all foreign journalists. Their reporting here has not been affected at all. On the visa issue, the overwhelming majority of the nearly 500 foreign journalists in China hold press cards with a validity period of one year. The facts are crystal clear and I hope relevant journalists can all look at this rationally.
Editor: Zuo Zhuo
Intern Editor: Li Jinzhang
Source: The New York Times Ministry of Foreign Affairs Official Website Observer Network Twitter
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