By Li Hongmei People's Daily Online
A report lately released by some Western media organization labeling China as the origin of the current swine flu outbreak was rebuffed as totally groundless by China's Ministry of Agriculture, and again bore out a widespread belief among the Chinese public that Western media tend to give a distorted picture of what's happening in the country.
In recent days, especially since China kicked off its peaceful rise, the country has been considered an increasingly noticeable player on the world stage. But, meanwhile, it has appeared always to be perched on the altar of the international 'public opinions,' finger pointed occasionally by Western media, mainly given the ideological difference, cultural shock and, perhaps, asymmetrical information.
The slant and prejudice, which seemingly has taken root in some Western media coverage on China, are already familiar to any Chinese with the common sense. In particular, when reporting on China's domestic politics, these Westerners like to produce sensational but negative news stories to feed their readers, who actually have a mild interest in China but may take a considerable interest in reading 'bad China' stories.
In their efforts to curry favor with these readers, the media in question would even go out of their way not merely to slant the news but fabricate stories, this ranging widely from China's guiding principles governing its autonomous regions like Tibet and state policies such as family planning measures to the deep-seated problems like corruption, all reported in a negative way. Some media have a tradition to take advantage of China's public discontent, which is not absolutely unique to China, cultivating the special groups of interviewing subjects and even paying for their deliberately magnifying the so-called personal grievances or bluntly twisting the facts.
In so doing, they could stir up sensation of their readers and satisfy their appetite for compassion, thereby enlarging their reader base and attracting more ads. After all, the motive to denigrate and vilify China is more or less driven by economic gains or losses. As advertising revenues fall, costly foreign media bureau will close. That being the case, these media organization seem not on purpose to demonize China but out of the market-oriented rules of their trade in making up the 'China-based tragedies'—if it bleeds, it leads. Or so to speak, if you touch the emotion, you gain the ground.
It seems to be a plausible explanation, if not for the despicable activities some media conducted on behalf of some interests groups to mar China's international image, to meddle with China's internal affairs and, in a vain attempt, to break up China. The real problem with China coverage in the mainstream Western media is not only confined to the negativity, or digging dirt as taken by some media as their standard practice, but the intention behind and, the unreasonable faultfinding or malicious defaming of China.
From CNN anchorman Jack Cafferty's nonsensical verbal insults to the entire Chinese nation to some Western media's distorted coverage on Mar.14 Tibet riot and to the recent baseless accusation of China as the origin of the deadly pandemic, how can a person with the minimum of common knowledge believe that these media institutes or staff did so just to please their consumers and satisfy what their consumers are fascinated by and care about.
What's behind may be the fact that, given the growing importance of China and the de facto differences in the Chinese culture and society, some media has deliberately chosen to be blind to the Chinese reality, sticking to an ironclad but biased focus, looking at China through colored spectacles, and hence manipulating their readers.
All that still remains to do, as a responsible media and reporter, will be always what is required to do by journalism—reporting accurately and fairly. To tell as it is. China coverage, for instance, should be focused more on the stories that truly make up China's complex. Why the Western media would rather keep mute to the facts such as more and more brilliant students joining the Communist Party, the extent of popular support for the system and the current leadership, or experiments in economic and political reforms especially at the local levels? Isn't that in actual existence? Or is it that what interests them determines where to look and what to report?
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