Media in China
The media in China is censored in all its forms, and editors may face jail time if they communicate unauthorized material. The state-run news agency, Xinhua (www.xinhuanet.com/english/), is the principal source of information and their choices about which stories to report and how to do so can be insightful. Hong Kong is a different story, with a wide variety of uncensored media.
China’s main English language newspaper, the China Daily, offers news reflecting the way the government would like foreigners to view China, along with a handy listings section, and it’s available at bigger hotels throughout the country. The main Chinese language national is the People’s Daily which is available in English online. There are also local English Language newspapers, such as the Shanghai Daily, which predominantly cover city and national news, but also give international round-ups.
Magazines are principally Chinese-language and those that are in English are, as ever, heavily censored, but often contain interesting articles nonetheless – try China Today, which was established by Soong Qingling, wife of Dr. Sun Yatsen. In large cities you can find imported, unadulterated international magazines such as National Geographic, Newsweek and Time. Larger cities also have ex-pat-oriented magazines like City Weekend, which contain reviews, entertainment listings and stories that don’t always toe the party line. You can find these magazines in bigger hotels and bars, restaurants and cafés popular with ex-pats, although some are available on the Internet – that’s magazines (www.thatsmags.com) is one website to look for, with Beijing, Shanghai and Pearl River Delta editions.
Internet. In spite of the mammoth task it appears to be, the Chinese authorities are committed to controlling Internet use and thus they restrict access to certain websites, predominantly political or religious. But even Google was temporarily blocked in 2002 and has recently agreed to remove websites that feature sensitive issues from its search results. Incoming digital documents are also monitored through a nationwide firewall that scans for combinations of suspect words. Incoming digital documents are also monitored through a nationwide firewall that scans for combinations of suspect words.
Television. A flick through China’s TV channels can be an interesting experience, encompassing Beijing Opera, old war movies, ridiculous gameshows, costume dramas and authorized news.
However, for English-language programs, unless you’re staying in an upscale hotel, which might have CNN and international movie and sports networks, you’ll need to check out CCTV9. This state-run English channel offers culture, news, sports and travel, all of it “approved,” although it can be informative nonetheless. You may even see Canadian Mark Rowswell (aka Dashan, meaning Big Mountain), arguably China’s most famous foreigner, who has become a household name thanks to his flawless Mandarin, and still appears on CCTV educational shows. CCTV6 sometimes shows Western movies in English at around 10 pm. In Hong Kong, Pearl TV is the English-language channel and, as with most things in Hong Kong, it is far freer in its programming, with regular Hollywood movies.
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