[Swprograms] Re: Why is BBC World Service reducing its short wave provision?

["Mike Barraclough" <mikewb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>John Figliozzi <jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote

> Certainly, I don't think that CRI's commitment to public
> service broadcasting principles with respect to the way it reports the
> news is at or near the BBC's level at this point.  But if one looks at
> where CRI and its predecessors were just a short time ago and where CRI
> is now, there is a qualitative and quantitative improvement. While I
> agree that CRI falls woefully short on reporting on problems within the
> country, I've observed that there are an increasing number of reports
> and features on CRI that do point out problems like pollution, poverty
> and joblessness in the cities, disagreements among domestic experts,
> and unrest among some social groups and classes. I think that this can
> be said to a trend, but we can disagree on that.

It is a trend however, in my view, CRI reports this to an international
audience as it knows that we are aware of them through our free media but,
if you listen to their features carefully, they always come to the
conclusion that the Chinese Communist Party system will solve all these
problems. It's a classic propaganda technique. I would contend that the
system is the major cause of the problems.

The Communist Party internal media sources don't cover them in the same way
CRI does. There is some mention in Communist Party Congress statements
because they are worried about the internal unrest. There is a growing
independent media within China, which is operating without Communist Party
subsidies, and it is criticising particularly the actions of local
officials, but these journalists are still severely restricted by the nature
of the Chinese State Constitution. If they cross the line they get arrested.

>OTOH, CRI seems to believe that any segment of the target population
>has the capacity to either be or become an "opinion former".  So its
>approach is to use all the distribution methods at its service.  CRI's
>hours on shortwave to NA and everywhere else is up, as is its internet,
>satellite and local placement efforts.

For "CRI seems to believe" substitute "the Chinese Communist Party seems to
believe", CRI's global propaganda mission is contained in their Party
Congress reports. They have more problems politically getting 24 hour FM
relays in overseas cities so they are making best use of the distribution
methods they have at their disposal.

Mike


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