Covering Tibet: The prejudices of two British newspapers

Introduction

‘Successful newspapers reinforce the prejudices of their readers’. Using simplified sociological perceptions and some additional inferences, I discuss this in the context of two contrasting national titles, namely Financial Times and The Independent, and analyse what seems to be the prejudices, attitudes and editorial mindsets of each. The illustration is based on how the biases are demonstrated in specific items taken from issues of each paper and the explanation of possible reasons.

 

My research proposal

The development and limitations of citizen journalism in China

Research purpose

Citizen journalism is starting to pick up in China – at least in certain quarters. But when we correlate citizen journalism to China we’ll surely be confronted with such a mixed picture which suggests that a more nuanced theoretical approach to the relationship between the Internet and people is required, one that gives due attention not only to the properties of specific technologies qua technologies, but also to the political, social, and cultural context in which they are deployed. Moreover, with the Chinese-language Internet soon to become the largest part of the global Internet, we need more bridges, more collaboration, more dialogue, and better understanding. With the development of technology, citizen journalism will introduce fresh voices into the national discourse on various topics, and help build communities of interest through their collective resources.

 

‘Political accident’ derived from a photo

Wang Lili, a 52-year-old journalist working at Tongzhou Times for 4 years, got fired by his company merely because of a picture he shot and published in which the proprietor of Tongzhou is making a work report in People’s Congress. According to bloggerQian Liexian[zh], the official statement about Wang’s dismissal is: “His photo distorted the spirit of congress and made the proprietor acting like pleading guilty, which generated a very bad political effect.” Wang Lili hitherto hasn’t found his job.

 

China: The truth of Nanjie Village

Nanjie Village, a small village in Henan Province and once the so-called ‘red billionaire village’ and ‘Republic of Chairman Mao’, is recently revealed by Chinese media that it is totally a phoney. Changping[zh] compares it with the fake tiger photo last year arguing that it indicates the bankruptcy of planned economic system and the extreme left ideology.

 

Chinese dragon vs Indian elephant: Friends or enemies?

I recently read an article in FT titled Chinese dragon roars over Indian industry saying that the increasing amount of Sino-Indian trade is heavily tilted in China’s favour, with the deficit more than doubling to $9.17bn in the past fiscal year and the growing trade imbalance between the two countries in favour of Beijing has proved to be one of the most contentious issues.According to Financial Times China looks like having the upper hand at least for the next few years. “Let the dragon and the elephant dance together and not be separated by a ‘Chinese wall’,”wrote Amit Mitra, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, in The Times of India, in a call for a more level playing field on trade.

 

Think twice before you name a new cultural revolution

The world’s most populous nation, the world’s biggest consumer of raw materials, and now the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, China strides irresistibly towards its economic and political destiny. But as Beijing prepares for its Olympic extravaganza this summer, the cultural life of the 1.3 billion people who live and work in this economic superpower remains a closed book to many in the west – their bestselling authors unfamiliar, their most exciting writers untranslated. 

 

Taiwan’s referendum becomes the annoying bug to China and U.S.

BEIJING (Reuters) – “The United States stressed on Thursday that it opposes Taiwan plans to hold a referendum on U.N. membership, while China urged Washington to help oppose the vote that it calls a dangerous provocation.” 2008 is not a tough year to China but that is not to say everything in this year will be blithe. China remains jittery, especially with Beijing’s Olympic Games in August drawing additional attention to its actions.

 

Still a moot point? Enviroment problems caused by the dam

Although officials said low water levels in the Yangtze were not linked to construction of the massive Three Gorges Dam, the increasing number of evidences imply that the destruction and pollution of ecosystem and environment are no longer a moot point. Accoeding to BBC(Jan 17, 2008), China is facing its worst drought in a decade, with water in parts of the Yangtze River at the lowest level in 142 years, state media has reported. Millions of people were short of water, and dozens of ships had run aground in the river since October, reports said.  

 

Random thoughts on the clash in Burma and the shock it brings to China

With the deliberate fatal shooting of a Japanese journalist while covering the pro-democracy demonstrations,the big event in Burma just began to show some of its effective influences on neighbouring countries. According to a report in Guardian Unlimited, Japan, for example,one of the biggest donors to Burma,is fiercely outraged and planning to suspend its economic aid to the poorest country in Asia.Usually,those sorts of international sanction will undoubtedly do execution.But in this case,the dictatorial government there may not get too scared to proceed its military crackdown against any opponents.The reason,for the most part,probably lies in its fantasy of some powerful political support derive from its another big donor and ally,the People’s Republic of China

 

A Twisted Doughnut of Panopticon: CCTV’s New Headquarters

The new headquarters of China Central TV are under smooth construction and ‘loving care’ of the Communist Party. According to The Economist (Dec 2007), for more than a year, passers-by have watched the 230-metre towers creep up at a perilous six-degree angle. It is one of the world’s biggest and most ambitious buildings, of ten described as a twisted doughnut with two leaning towers connected by an impossible looking L-shaped overhang.