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

[jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Thanks for taking the time, Dan.  I'll try and locate the sources you suggested.

John Figliozzi

----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel Say <say@xxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 11:35 pm
Subject: [Swprograms] Re: Why is BBC World Service reducing its short wave provision?

> > I really like that we are having a robust discussion on this 
> list 
> > again--even though it seems I might be losing the argument.  :-))
> > 
> > But, Dan, are you saying that the trends aren't toward more open 
> speech 
> > in China and that the organs once tightly controlled by the 
> Party are 
> > starting--certainly very slowly--to work away from those 
> strictures?  I 
> > ask--respectfully--because you are bound to have greater insight 
> into 
> > this than me.
> > 
> > John
> > 
> 	On your bike!
> 
> 	China is more open personally, but as far as state
> 	media (and most is state, except in Shanghai, Guangzhou
> 	and a few small other places where a private station
> 	is allowed), they are as closed as ever they were.
> 	The staff no longer wear Mao jackets, but they have
> 	one in the closet if they have to.
> 
> 	The control is internalized.  Most know how far they
> 	can go, even in Hong Kong where the minor press is 
> 	slavish to the Beijing line.  	
> 	
> 	What you find in domestic press is :
> 	"   Newspapers now report previously taboo subjects 
> 	such as industrial accidents and social problems, 
> 	but sensitive subjects, such as the death in January 
> 	of ousted leader Zhao Ziyang, can be buried on back
>   	pages and left off broadcasts altogether."
> 	See more at   Linkname: Google Search:
>          http://google.sh/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=ISO-8859-
> 1&ncl=http://www          
> .khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp%3Fxfile%3Ddata/theworld/20    
>      05/March/theworld_March595.xml%26section%3Dtheworld
>       Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 04:00:11 GMT
>          including 
>   	Linkname: China cracks down on rogue journalists
>          
> http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews    
>      &storyID=2005-03-23T032204Z_01_JON312081_RTRUKOC_0_CHINA-REPORT
>          ERS.xml
> 
>          and
>           Linkname: Rules issued to ensure fair journalism
>          
> http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/nation/userob    
>      ject1ai956611.html
> 
> 	The Reuters story above mentions the "warning shot" at the 	
> 	very popular  Southern Weekend paper
> 	" Last year a former editor-in-chief of China's 
> 	best-selling newspaper was jailed for 12 years for 
> 	corruption and another editor was held for
>   	five months without charge, drawing fire from critics 
> 	who said aggressive journalists were being silenced."
> 
> 	So while the domestic press is bold enough to take on 
> 	petty corruption, and with a signal, larger pieces, they
> 	let the party line speak for itself.  It is not as 
> 	Stalinist? as it once was, yet the iron fist is in 
> 	the velvet glove if necessary.  There are more outlets
> 	at the provincial and state level.  Not the thousand
> 	channel universe but not the 2 channels only in big
> 	cities of a few decades ago.
> 	But the glut of media from every organization, ministry
> 	and regional and city or provincial group has proved
> 	uneconomic, so the government, sparing a half dozen party
> 	organs, has deemed that most papers should close if not
> 	economic and that forced subscriptions to the Nat Enq
> 	and NY Post shall cease.  Other broadcast media has been
> 	forced into business conglomerates to be able to compete,
> 	including with a promised media opening under the WTO.
> 	Radio has gone out to be commercial and hit niches such
> 	as traffic, music, but the news all is filtered--and 
> 	read--from the Xinhua teletype with only local stories
> 	reported live and with a local touch.  Good enough 
> 	for most people, and the wiser ones know what is up and
> 	how the press is manipulated.
> 	But as the 'mountains are high, and the emperor isf
> 	very far away' the provinces and Shanghai can get 
> 	away with a lot.  Hunan TV is quite modern and watched
> 	all over by domestic satellite.  Provincial radio isn't
> 	as extended but people do listen to other regional radio
> 	where they can receive it.  Shortwave listening to 
> 	the Voices of America, Russia, BBC and Radio Australia
> 	give them a perspective and shortwave listening to the i
> 	Chinese, not the World or English Services, is common.
> 
> 	Bringing it back to shortwave, Chinese media don't dare phrase 
> 	or cover stories in the western way when they have been given
> 	moral guidelines or it involves a Chinese external relation
> 	affairs.  Nor will any notice be made of most politicians
> 	except the major leaders and spokespersons. Otherwise
> 	you'll just hear about the "Ministry said...." which
> 	the inner circle will have agreed is the line.
> 	
> 	Pick up a copy of 
>   Title Media, market, and democracy in China : between the party 
> line   and the bottom line / Yuezhi Zhao
>   Published Urbana [Ill.] : University of Illinois Press, c1998
>   Contents 1. Party Journalism in China: Theory and Practice -- 
> 2. The
>   Trajectory of Media Reform -- 3. Media Commercialization with 
> Chinese   Characteristics -- 4. Corruption: The Journalism of 
> Decadence -- 5.
>   Broadcasting Reform amidst Commercialization -- 6. Newspapers 
> for the
>   Market -- 7. Toward a Propagandist/Commercial Model of 
> Journalism? --
>   8. Challenges and Responses -- 9. Media Reform beyond
>   Commercialization
> 
> > On Monday, March 21, 2005, at 02:34  AM, Daniel Say wrote:
> > >> Jfigliozzi said 
> > >> Mike
> > >> For one thing, I don't think that CRI and the Chinese 
> Communist Party
> > >> are one and the same.
> > >>
> > > 	Oh?  New director is a stalwart party man from
> > > 	SAFRT.
> > > 	Some of the staff care about CCP, many don't.
> > > 	However they have to, in news sources, use the
> > > 	Xinhua (New China) News Agencies redigests of
> > > 	Associated Press, UPI etc. reports.
> > > 	(Have you seen that Xinhua is the most common
> > > 	source, even in English language, of news stories
> > > 	in Google?)
> > > 	All media is part of the Propaganda (3. Roman Catholic
> > > 	Church A division of the Roman Curia that has authority
> > >     	in the matter of preaching the gospel, of establishing
> > > 	the Church in non-Christian countries,....) or
> > > 	Party Discipline section.
> > > 	I've had reports from staff of long delays in items while
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