Should the Media Shoulder Legally Neutral Obligation?
Although many people are heatedly discussing Tibetan issue, Tibetan terrorists or criminals, who infringed on the fundamental human rights of many innocent victims, should be punished according to existing law and the rule-of-law principle. Currently, many websites and newspapers maintained by volunteers exposed some lies and distortions in some western media, which always reported how Tibetan protestors were‘protecting their human rights’, but neglected and scarcely reported expression from Chinese common people. Basically, there is expressive freedom in Western countries and some lies and fabricated stories, especially in some prestigious media are not charged with any legal consequence. From the other perspective, some distorted opinions do arise nationalism within most Chinese people, who reflect totally different from the opinions as to 1989 Tian-an-men Affair. If these reports are prejudicial to China and distorting some truths, should the media freely be forum of helping certain politicians’ performance to obtain vote or shoulder legally neutral obligation to some extent? Discuss.
To know some information to balance, see http://www.anti-cnn.com/
To know some information to balance, see http://www.anti-cnn.com/
Comments
Jernej Letnar Cernic
This place is only for the persons who are against chinese government.
-youyuan
By the way, every one loves his country, using the word 'propaganda' without thinking is ridiculous.
Now, if it is the case that Tibetan protestors (referred to as “criminals” and “terrorists”) infringe on the human rights of ordinary Chinese citizens they should indeed be punished. However, little evidence of such violations has yet been produced. If this is down to Western media being biased, as is asserted, then it must be up to the Chinese representatives and its followers to produce the evidence. The website referred to in the original post does not seem to do a very good job as far as this is concerned. It points to the fact that the, judged by the pictures, heavy-handed quelling of Tibetan protests is in some cases carried out by Nepalese authorities rather than Chinese and claims that this is being misrepresented in the Western media. However, heavy-handed methods by Nepalese authorities do not in any way vindicate well-proven heavy-handedness by Chinese authorities. In addition, charges of distortion and prejudice in the media from Chinese officials are always going to raise suspicion as it is well-known that free and fair media coverage simply does not exist in China. If Chinese authorities genuinely seek an open media coverage it would do itself many favours by actually allowing a free media to flourish.
I have paid much attention to miscellaneous reports and opinions since the turmoil happened. Quoting a celebrated scholar Wang Fu��s saying ��Jian-ting-ze-ming, pian-xin-ze-an (Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened)��, I should say collecting more different materials and opinions can help everyone to critically get your own judgment. Never listening to common people in China, most of whom including myself has too much linguistic problem to express in English, will be easily mislead by the media of mainstream in Western countries(I do not negative the same situation of China authoritative media).
And I have some personal opinions about potential meaning of critique of Danai Lama and Prime Minster Wen Jiabao to each other and do some research on origin of structure of China human rights. It is very interesting but out of the topic here. If some learned friends are interested in these issues, I will more than happy to talk freely with him or her.
This is an open forum, and we are all here at a University where we can freely express our ideas.
You should certainly feel free to express your views, but as has been pointed out, there have been no facts to either (1) show any specific reporting which has been biased; or (2) link to any evidence which shows in any way that Tibetans are "terrorists". Though that may be the case, it sharply contrasts with what the Dalai Lama and others have publicly endorsed; though from what I understand this message is seldom heard in China.
Please let me also dispel the notion that CNN is the sole voice of the Western media, it is not, and never has been. There are hundreds of other news organizations which often do a better more thorough job of reporting from all across the political spectrum.
Apart from paying attention to human right record of Tibet, neutral observers should compare the basic life of tibetans at present to that of past when Dalai Lama controlled Tibet, and should realise the big positive changes in Tibet. Preserving rights of living is the most imporatant right of human.
As for the responsibility of Media, China government didn't allow free media into Tibet on Tibet issue happening, but it doesn't mean media can freely distort the fact by this reason. In fact, it only results in explosion of Chinese nationalism, and doesn't benefit to mutual understanding of western and eastern world.
The report is the latest in a series by Chinese media that portrays the unrest as a violent separatist campaign orchestrated by the Dalai Lama and his exiled supporters, and, as The Christian Science Monitor reported, "The vast majority of Chinese citizens, relying on state-run media for news and official views, appear to find no fault with their government's handling of recent Tibetan unrest, presented as an outbreak of murderous mob violence instigated by separatist plotters abroad."
Last week, Chinese authorities said they had thwarted a plot by a Muslim minority group to carry out suicide attacks and kidnappings during the Olympics. The Associated Press reports that a security official revealed that 35 people had been arrested over the alleged plot in Xinjiang, a vast western province where Muslim Uighurs have long bristled under Chinese rule. But analysts have questioned the veracity of this and other reported terrorist threats involving Uighurs in the run-up to the Olympics.
Nicholas Bequelin, a Xinjiang expert with Human Rights Watch in Hong Kong, said Beijing has undercut its credibility by consistently labeling criminal acts, anti-government violence and peaceful dissent as terrorism.
"The experience around the world since the launch of the global war on terrorism, has taught the international community how easily threats of terrorism can be manipulated by authoritarian governments for their own purposes," Bequelin said.
Hi, there! Thanks very much for your response. And I would like to express my appreciation to Britain, British people and Aberdeen University for your expressive freedom.
And firstly I wonder if you could log onto the website: http://www.anti-cnn.com/ and check whether these specific certificate could justify my argumentation to some extent. There are a lot of materials in it.
Secondly, I have not say that Tibetans are “terrorists” and just mentioned “Tibetan terrorists”, who is a group of Tibetan people within and out of boundary of China, kill and injury innocent common people. Most of Tibetan people are kind and friendly, and I had no intention and necessity to defame Chinese Tibetan people. Actually, “terrorist” and “terrorism” are very popular used in legal version and academic research. Because the reason of that the system of assessment in Arts and Social Science are Chinese Journals, many latest and good papers are hardly known by western countries. China Government has already cooperated with many countries, such as Kazakhstan, Russia and so on, doing a lot of activities of anti-terrorism.
Thirdly, I would like to say if you believe Dalai Lama without reservation, I think it might be hard to know truth of the whole story. This website, together with other websites of anti-distortions, is not only against CNN but many media, having distorted truth or cited them.
It is very delighted to hear your suggestion. I deem that mutual communication and discussion are able to help us with lessening contradiction and knowing the world more realistically and thoroughly.
Those mobs killed innocent people, set fire on shops and burned 5 innocent girls. Frankly, I can't find any reason they should not be heavy-handed. Meanwhile, the pictures of Neaple heavy-handedness do not vindicate well-proven heavy-handedness by Chinese authorities, they also are not on a solid ground to prove Chinese autorities did hurt the mobs.
None of the medias in this world is absolutely free and fair, including western media. However, prejudice is seen everywhere, but actually not acceptable. When you accuse and raise suspicions from Chinese media, not from BBC or CNN, you just PRESUMELY Chinese autorities are lying, which, by definition, is prejudice.