29 Jul 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The potent reaction from both Chinese netizens and mainstream media in response to Sunday’s deadly train crash in Wenzhou has shown how the state’s propaganda machine is being increasingly challenged. The majority of Chinese media (including state-owned organs) this week ignored directives issued by the Central Propaganda Ministry not to report on the causes of the crash. Meanwhile, netizens’ use of social media, both to chronicle the disaster and to express their fury at the government’s handling of the situation, has led outspoken paper Southern Metropolis Daily to claim “no one, not even someone with the lowest IQ, would choose to challenge the public at this particular point in time.”
29 Jul 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
Guinea’s state-controlled media regulatory agency this week imposed a “temporary” ban on media coverage of the 19 July attack on the private residence of President Alpha Condé, silencing private radio and television debate programmes in which questions were being raised over the event.
Radio France Internationale (RFI), a popular international radio station in French-speaking Africa that had originally planned to debate the attack during one of its daily news call-in programmes, has felt the pressure of the ban. Its deputy director told the Committee to Protect Journalists: “We are not submitting to a censorship measure; we regret it and we hope that it will be temporary.” In the past, RFI has had its broadcasts temporarily banned and reporters expelled in several sub-Saharan African countries, though it continues to assert its editorial independence.
28 Jul 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The controversial ‘A Serbian Film’ has been banned from being screened at the RioFan film festival by the event’s main sponsor, Brazilian national bank Caixa Econômica Federal. A statement on the festival’s website says organisers were given no further information behind the decision to veto the film’s screening. Meanwhile, a statement from a spokesman of the bank’s board claims “not every creative product fits in an unrestrained way in any medium or place.” RioFan responded by saying it opposes all forms of censorship.
‘A Serbian Film’ has raised controversy for its depictions of pornography and violence. It was cut from London’s FrightFest film festival last year, while in May the director of Spain’s Sitges film festival, Angel Sala, was charged with the exhibition of child pornography in connection with an adults-only screening of the film.
26 Jul 11 | Asia and Pacific, China
Two bullet trains collided on 23 July in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, killing at least 38 people and injuring 192. In a country where people don’t trust the official news media — favouring internet posts and microblog reports instead — widespread public distrust greeted the initial news reports. This skepticism has been vindicated by the release of a series of state propaganda directives that have leaked online.
Reuters reported yesterday that news organisations have been told only positive angles should be presented on state TV and media. This has led to press reports on the thousands of blood donors in Wenzhou rushing to the scene and free taxi services to help transport the injured and family members looking for the injured.
Even though two Beijing outlets have denied following orders, it is clear that they have been directed to focus on “miracles” including the rescue of the 2-year-old Xiang Weiyi, who was saved after being trapped for 21 hours. David Bandurski, at the China Media Project, released a link to the directives, which asked the media not to focus on the tragedy, but rather to present upbeat stories. Reporters were instructed not to go to the scene, and not to focus stories on the burying of destroyed train carriages. This quick cover-up was quickly pounced on as conspicuous by Chinese journalists who were active online. They raised many questions about what the government is concealing from the public.
But state media cannot ignore the issues and questions that were raised by countless Chinese reporters at the Railways Ministry press conference following the accident. The spokesperson said that the reason for the collision would be revealed after the State Council’s investigation team had published their results. China Central Television’s (CCTV) anchor Bai Yansong, renowned or his patriotic yet balanced views, had raised this idea on his CCTV show, News 1+1:
We’re in a vicious cycle… if we can’t get close to the State Council’s investigation group, but yet we have to wait for news from the Railways Ministry … then we will continue to distrust the Railways Ministry.
