Editing: Chinese style
Posted by stuart on Aug 28th, 2008
2008
Aug 28
Hat tip to Peking Duck for pointing the way to this fascinating insight into the modus operandi of China’s official news agency when editing reports taken from foreign media sources.
It’s a must read. Black and White Cat is thoroughly recommended as your one of your blogs of choice for commentary on China’s attempts at journalism.
Now take a moment to reflect on China’s ‘official’ view of world history as told in a billion school textbooks. I’m going to have a stab at rewriting 4 June ’89 in the style of Xinhua and then apply for a job. Anti-British readers are invited to take a swing at rewriting the boxer rebellion to reflect the glory of empire. Go on; give it a try.
August 28th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Whatever happened happened, no matter who you are, Xinhua, BBC or VOA, no matter whether you are pro or anti-British. The bottom line is the Brits and Frenchies came, killed and looted. Bastards.
There is no reason to feel sore about that anymore. The victim mentality is retarded. We need to look forward and be glad that it is no longer the 1840s.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:18 am
“The bottom line is the Brits and Frenchies came, killed and looted.”
If Xinhua is your source, I wouldn’t be so sure.
“The victim mentality is retarded. We need to look forward…”
I agree, but China does like to wallow in the past when it reflects badly on other nations while remaining strangely silent on the darker (ccp inspired) episodes of its own making.
You can take all the digs you like at western media, pffefer, but you won’t find any ‘editing’ of this nature. Why don’t they reproduce the original and criticise if they so wish, rather than publish a fabrication? It’s hardly responsible journalism.
August 29th, 2008 at 4:03 am
Actually I don’t know what Xinhua would say about that. How about the BBC? VOA? Deutsche Welle?
I believe highlighting wrongs done by foreigners and downplaying those committed by their own is not something exclusively Chinese. Don’t you hate your nasty neighbor who beat you up more than your uncle who spanked you?
August 29th, 2008 at 5:10 am
“Don’t you hate your nasty neighbor who beat you up more than your uncle who spanked you?”
Precisely the reason why China needs all its ‘uncles’ to step forward.
August 29th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Sure, but more importantly, you’ve got to watch out for those nasty neighbors. Who knows when and how they will strike again.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:04 am
“I believe highlighting wrongs done by foreigners and downplaying those committed by their own is not something exclusively Chinese. ”
Whether it’s exclusive to any nationality or not, there is a qualitative difference in hanging out in the halls of history departments in China versus the United States. US historians love nothing more than to cut the wrists and let the blood flow—African slavery, Native American genocide, imperialism, degradation of workers and women…these are things PhD dissertations are made of (in the US).
Not so much in the PRC. Granted there are still political reasons for this, scholars and grad students do get waved off subjects, but I also think the concept of history as being as much about the darkness as the light is something that is still not common currency, and this is especially true as we move outside of the academic realm into the world of official, media, and popular discourse.
Tongue firmly in cheek: Whenever I hear ‘my country right or wrong’, I think ‘there but for the grace of Howard Zinn go I.’
September 4th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Jeremiah – I’m ashamed to say that I’m about to google ‘Howard Zinn’. I’ll be right back.
Wish I hadn’t just said that; now I feel even more ashamed. What an amazing guy – and I’ve only skimmed a couple of bios.
Come to think of it, I’m sure Chomsky referred to Zinn in an audio file I downloaded last year. In fact, Zinn must have crossed my radar before but my memory failed me. Never again!
Btw, from your comment, did you ever attend any of Zinn’s lectures?
“…there is a qualitative difference in hanging out in the halls of history departments in China versus the United States.”
When I was young I was fond of reading an encyclopedia belonging to my grandparents. Its rosy view of Britain’s role in world history would be laughed out of the classroom today. But it was fun to read that the French were to blame for nearly everything