JMSC 0046

1
JMSC 0046

• Introduction to Television and TV News
• Lecture 6
• February 19, 2009

2
Television in China

• Covering China
• Through the Camera Lens
• An historical look at Foreign Television Coverage
  of China
• 1972 2008
• A Personal View
• Jim Laurie

3
INDELIBLE IMAGES OF CHINA

• What images come to mind when you think of China?
  
• Most of those images come to us through video on
  television
• Powerful - but often the least subtle means of
  shaping international perceptions.

4
Visual Perceptions of China
5
Foreign TV News China Coverage

• TV has been covering China since the early
  1970s. Very little before then.
• First foreign TV cameras permitted to be
  stationed in China - late 1978. The first
  Beijing TV Bureau Canadas CTV
• Before then undercover efforts.
• 1979-1989 largely positive
• 1989-2009 mixed, but much negative

6
A personal perspective 1978 to 2006

• Before 1978, TV and Documentary Film makers came
  to China only by invitation and usually after
  much negotiation
• 1972 saw an opening
• Nixon It is truly a great wall.
• the Nixon Summit and first international
  satellite transmissions from China.

7
1972 TV Documentary

• Michelangelo Antonioni
• Chung Kuo or Cine (December 1972)
• 4 hours long RAI and on US TV
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vbtyzXVw17h8
• First screening in China - November 2004

8
Antonionis China 1972
9
Hong Kong in the 70s

• The China Watching City
• Monitoring China Central Television from Hong
  Kong - Lion Rock downlink station
• Canton TV a regular source of what the world
  saw of China well into the 80s
• v
• The 7pm CCTV News then and now a key source of TV
  images of China

10
Access to China

• From 1949 to 1978 remained difficult
• And improvement in access after 1978
• came very slowly
• laden with rules and regulations

11
Permission always hard to get

• The ALIEN
• In Early days
• Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu,
• Heilungjiang etc
• OFF LIMITS
• The bu fang bian phenomenon
• The dictatorship of the wai ban

12
China by Subterfuge

• In the 1970s and even today foreign China
  coverage is carried out often by breaking Chinese
  regulations
• Small camera Super 8 (in early days)
• 1970s Tour Groups
• Posing as businessmen, tourists, traders
  anything to get in to forbidden china

13
Television versus Print

• Television more difficult than print
• Need for pictures
• Camera draws
• attention
• Official instinct to stop shooting and control
  access
• Only in recent years has TV become less obtrusive
  smaller digital equipment

14
1978-1979 Deng Xiao Ping China Opening Up
15
Deng Xiaoping and opening up

• 1978-1979
• China authorizes the first
• Television News Bureau in Beijing
• Canadian Television CTV
• European and Japanese TV followed quickly
• US Television kept out until June 1981

16
1978-1982 Positive images

• Democracy Wall in 1978 (tape)
• Gang of four trial (DVD)
• Deng Xiao Ping goes to
• Texas
• China Opening Up
• Poor China to modernize by 2000
• A positive American Media portrayal of China
  (DVD)

17
The Road to 1989
18
1986 1989 Courage to Crackdown

• Student Demonstrations of 1986
• a phone call just before Christmas
• Hu Yaobang resigns 1987, Dies 1989
• Mikhail Gorbachev visit stirs students and
  permits TV news coverage
• May 14, 1989

19
Western TV in China in Force
20
Images 1986 to 1996

• Tian An Men Protests and crackdown
• http//www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/china/timeline_tian
  anmen.html
• Legacies of Tian An Men
• TV technology advanced
• Emphasis on reporting the negative
• Post 1990 Increasing Chinese regulation of
  media

21
Rules and Regulations

• In line with stated belief in Rule of Law
• New regulations governing foreign media
  activities first issued in 1990
• One set governing Hong Kong and Macau reporters
• Second governing foreign reporters

22
Rules Regulations 1990 Updated 2003

• Article 14 Foreign journalists and permanent
  offices of foreign news agencies shall conduct
  journalistic activities within the scope of
  business as registered or within the mutually
  agreed plan for news coverage.Foreign
  journalists and permanent offices of foreign news
  agencies shall observe journalistic ethics and
  shall not distort facts, fabricate rumors or
  carry out news coverage by foul means.Foreign
  journalists and permanent offices of foreign news
  agencies shall not engage in activities which are
  incompatible with their status or tasks, or which
  endanger China's national security, unity or
  community and public interests.Article 15
  Foreign journalists shall apply for approval
  through the Information Department to interview
  top leaders of China, and shall apply to the
  relevant foreign affairs departments for approval
  for news coverage regarding China's government
  departments or other departments.Foreign
  journalists shall obtain in advance permission
  from the foreign affairs office of the people's
  government of a province, autonomous region or
  municipality directly under the Central
  Government for news coverage in an open area in
  China. They shall submit a written application to
  the Information Department for permission to
  cover news in a non-open area in China. Upon
  approval, they shall go through formalities for
  travel documents from the relevant public
  security organ.

23
Rules Regulations Updated 2003

• Article 16 Resident foreign correspondents and
  permanent offices of foreign news agencies shall
  rent living and office spaces in accordance with
  the relevant Chinese regulations.Resident
  foreign correspondents and permanent offices of
  foreign news agencies may employ Chinese citizens
  as staff members or service personnel through
  local foreign affairs service departments, and
  employ citizens of their home country or a third
  country as staff members or service personnel
  subject to approval from the Information
  Department.Article 17 Foreign journalists and
  permanent offices of foreign news agencies shall
  not install transceivers or satellite
  communications facilities in China. They shall
  apply to the competent telecommunications
  department of the Chinese Government for approval
  to use walkie-talkie or similar facilities.
• Source http//www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw/jzfw/363
  5/Part20V/t25155.htm

24
New Regulations Before Olympics

• December 1, 2007 - New regulations granting
  foreign journalists more freedom to report in the
  run-up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games.
  Expire on October 17, 2008.
•    Not necessary to be accompanied or assisted by
  a Chinese officials.
•    "Foreign journalists also no longer need to
  apply to provincial foreign affairs offices for
  permission to carry out reporting in all
  provinces of China ... but need only obtain prior
  consent of the organizations or individuals they
  want to interview.
•    "The regulations have been made following
  international practices
• Source Chinese Foreign Ministry

25
Olympic Games

• Normally about 530 reporters and photographers
  based in Beijing
• 2007-08 25,000 reporters photographer visitors
  (source HRW)
• Games as the peg
• Olympic promises
• Service Guide for Foreign Media Coverage
• From June 17 2007 to October 17 2008

26
Foreign TV Coverage Today

• Unprecedented freedom BUT...
• Old practices and old themes persist
• Tian An Men legacy
• A return to old themes
• Fang Zhen 1989, 1996, 2008

27
Foreign TV Coverage Today

• Is the portrayal of China by the international
  television media fair?
• Has it improved over the past 30 years or more
• Your judgement?

28
Television in China

• Covering China
• Through the Camera Lens
• An historical look at Foreign Television Coverage
  of China
• 1972 - 2008
• Jim Laurie

29
The Foreign Media Presence in China continues to
grow

• 516 accredited resident foreign correspondents
  from 46 countries
• (Feb 2006)
• Nearly ½ radio and television
• Al Jazeera,TV Globo Brazil, SpanishTV
• SKY News, Channel News Asia
• Public Radio International

30
Since 1986-89 more negative images on Western
TV emerge

• Adoptions ? Pollution
• ? Abortions ? Health issues
• ? Infanticide ? Cover-ups
• Organ transplants ? Dissidents
• Xinjiang ? Tibet