International journalism: Freedom of the press in China

Résumé du document

First, China as a growing power in the world is a country which fuels many observations and issues. And as a student in political science I need to learn more about the Asian miracle and obviously what the main obstacles remain in the Chinese race to modernity. Then, we had the opportunity, during the course of International Journalism, to listen to a presentation by a PhD student (in communication) from China, who seemed to have a very balanced opinion about the media in his home country. Finally, I've just watched a very good documentary directed by Anthony Thomas called "The tank man" (2006), which deals with the media in China and the freedom of the press. The Banff World TV Festival rewarded that documentary in 2007. The Chinese government continues the privatization of the media and maintains its severe repression of the reform oriented journalists. The newspaper industry, placed for the first time in competition, risks criticism, but the Propaganda Department, from the official agency Xinhua, supervises and sanctions. With at least 27 journalists held in detention, China was, on January 1st 2005, the largest prison of the world for the professionals of information.

Extraits

[...] and Cisco have been sued because of complicity to censorship. The American judge highlighted then the shame of such behaviour for “companies which symbolize the greater freedom of information”. Cisco officials answered then are helping them to make their work more efficiently”. As Cisco contract violates the American law, Bush administration has been re-examining the rules of exportation of the network products. G means Google, M for Microsoft and Y for Yahoo!. III- The possible positive influence of the up-coming Olympic Games From the moment Beijing has been chosen as the Olympic city in 2008 the issue of human rights in the country became even more controversial. [...]

[...] ¶You must be satisfied to cover the Olympic Games." And, when the journalist insists on his interest in Falun gong, the police officer explains to him that it exceeds his prerogatives and that as a foreign journalist in China, it must respect the law of the country. To finish, the journalist is invited to follow the police officer. ¶Questioned on this kind of practices, the spokesman of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Liu Jianchao, indicated that "from January 1st 2007, no official would have the right to retain a foreign journalist who would try to dialogue with an unspecified person. [...]

[...] If a journalist is stopped, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will intervene in its favour." Conclusion: After such a black presentation of the situation, one should remind that the Chinese government is very aware that its stability is fragile and that another “Tiananmen” is possible. The number of demonstration is rising (87 in 2007) while the gap between rich population and poor (peasants and workers, rural and urban people) is, as well, widening. [...]

[...] International Journalism: Freedom of the press in China The idea of the subject: First, China as a growing power in the world is a country which fuels many observations and issues. And as a student in political science I need to learn more about the Asian miracle and obviously what the main obstacles remain in the Chinese race to modernity. Then, we had the opportunity during that course of International Journalism to listen to a presentation by a PhD student in communication from China, who seemed to have a very balanced opinion about the media in his home country. [...]

[...] ¶Thus, Shi Tao was stopped on November 24th 2004 "to have revealed confidential information concerning the State".¶The police force penetrated at his place without authorization, arrested him and confiscated its computer and documents. ¶Before leaving, the policemen required of his wife not to inform anybody, especially not the media, otherwise her husband would be maltreated. ¶The most current sanctions are the dismissals or keeping aside. was the case of Xiao Weibi, editor of the magazine Tong Zhou Gong Jin, laid off to have published an interview of a former person in charge for the Communist Party in Canton, in favour with the political reforms. [...]