I’ve said it before, but nothing makes the CCP look more like a bunch of insecure moonbats than their fixation on “guiding public opinion” (read: censorship and propaganda). The 2009 SCIO Internet News Work training session recently wrapped up in Beijing, and over the next few days China Digital Times is publishing translated notes from the meeting.
I strongly encourage readers to check out the full posts on CDT, but I couldn’t resist commenting on two sections.
The first comes from Li Wufeng, Bureau Chief of the State Council Information Office Internet Affairs Bureau. In Mr. Li’s opening lecture he criticized “Small newspapers and websites republish each others’ stories, creating media hype. For example, the Deng Yujiao incident and the Hangzhou street race case.” For those of you not following “small newspapers” in China, Deng Yujiao was a woman arrested after defending herself from being raped by a local official (the official died) and the latter case involved a young man in Hangzhou who attempted to use his family’s money and influence to protect him after he killed a pedestrian while drag racing his Nouveaurichemobile.
Yes…how truly horrible, if newspapers spend all of their time exposing corruption, how will they find the space to print the officially-sanctioned “news“?
The second is from a talk by Peng Bo, Deputy Chief of the State Council Information Office Internet Affairs Bureau. Mr. Peng is less concerned with how domestic issues were covered by online news portals, rather he’s worried about how coverage of the United States — in particular President Obama — might be damaging to social stability.
Criticize Sina for not thinking politically; when reporting on Obama’s visit to China, they played without authorization a video of Obama speaking in Shanghai.
The most important part of Obama’s visit to China was his speech in Shanghai. The format of this speech was different than the speech format used by past U.S. presidents when visiting China. It was specially designed by the U.S. government to enlarge Obama’s personal influence.
Before Obama visited China, America and China negotiated that websites and television stations would broadcast the event. China accepted their request; however, live television coverage was to be limited to Shanghai area television stations.
These measures were implemented to accord with the central government’s desire that people become enthused about China-U.S. relations rather than be enthused about Obama.
Providing a video of Obama’s speech without authorization was done for Sina’s commercial interest and was not done for the nation’s interest. In order to gain a little, a lot was lost.
Criticize Netease for going after sensational stories and not doing a good job of directing public opinion. [Neatease's] international news headlines are always things like “New York Mayor Bloomberg Receives Annual Salary of $1”, “Black American Becomes Mayor”, “American Youth Becomes Mayor”. These headlines are sensationalist and cast aspersions [on the Chinese government]. [Netease] has set the wrong direction for public opinion and has not properly fulfilled its role as a guide [of public opinion].
It’s whimsical to say the least that the results of a local mayoral race in the US are criticized for being ‘sensationalist’ while this gem of a headline, and others like it, appear regularly on the website of the government mouthpiece China Daily. It pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the fear and insecurity so rife within the Party today. For all the talk about ‘consent of the governed’ and a lack of an organized opposition, Party leaders worry a great deal about their own legitimacy. The CCP may put up a brave front, but statements like these make you wonder if the emperor is noticing the breeze in his britches.
In the end, the Party’s ‘shoot the messenger’ attitude toward the media (both foreign and domestic) is not in the best interests of building a healthy society and too plainly reveals that the CCP — like the Empress Dowager and the conservative Manchu court of the late 19th century — still puts the needs of maintaining their own position and power over the interests of the people and the nation.
Nothing makes the CCP look more like a bunch of insecure moonbats than their fixation on “guiding public opinion.” http://bit.ly/92sTwh
[...] Jeremiah Jenne read through those notes and was incensed by the ridiculousness of them all, commenting that “nothing makes the CCP look more like a bunch of insecure moonbats than their fixation on “guiding public opinion”…” [The Granite Studio] [...]