Journalists’ flaming debate over Xinhua’s new English channel
I’m sure you guys are news-savvy, but here is the WSJ article for Xinhua launching its Eng-lang station.
BEIJING—China’s state news agency announced the launch of a global English-language television channel, part of a broader international push by the country’s government media aimed at countering the dominance of Western news outlets and conveying a Chinese perspective on events.
I really enjoyed reading the last bit.
- Ronnie
But will it be a “Chinese” perspective on events, or will it be a “Chinese government” perspective on events?
- Jonathan
Well, probably about as Chinese government perspective, as many American companies and outlets give you the perspective of their country and government.
- Jojje
I take your point, Jojje, but I think there’s an important difference here: American media is free to criticize top American leaders and American government polices — and it does so, all the time. I don’t think Xinhua will be able to do that.
Nonetheless, the world’s international reporting does need non-Western balance, which is one reason I enjoy watching Al Jazeera. It’s good to see China joining the global conversation, and I’m sure any of my classmates would do good work there.
- Jonathan
It does take a long way for China to really make itself heard at the global level, but we are more than glad to see the initiative, despite teasing or mocking from westerners.
Anyway, what can you do in a world where all the rules are set by the West? You’ve got to follow the rules before you can set your own. That’s why I believe Xinhua has to learn “how to speak” first.
-Yueyang
Until the Chinese people rise up and kick out the communist thugs who rule China, you can never hope to have a credible media on the international stage. It just won’t happen while those goons are still in charge. Sad but true, it’s as simple as that.
Unfortunately, that task lies with people like you. People who just moan and groan about Western dominance instead of taking matters into their own hands and getting on with making change happen at the root of the problem.
“Anyway, what can you do in a world where all the rules are set by the West? You’ve got to follow the rules before you can set your own.” Such apathy. Forget about what the West is doing, it doesn’t matter. Set your own rules!
Ms Lu (Yueyang), if you really want a decent media that won’t be laughed at by the rest of the world, (and not just by the West, I might add), you have got to fight for it. And it will not come easy. And to get it you had better start thinking about regime change first.
As the saying goes, ‘a people get the government they deserve…’
- Alex
Wow, Mr. Hofford (Alex) has such a profound understanding on politics and Chinese matters. I’d like you to move up to the diplomatic office. I’m sure we will see a much better planet.
- Yi
And George W. Bush could run it until Sarah Palin is able to find her ass with both hands. Tea time? (1pm)
- rt
———————————————————————————–
Pardon me for being old, but I recall that in 1989, during the unpleasantness in Beijing, the government lost control over Xinhua for three or four days. We took the full Xinhua wire at WSJ, and it was a marvel to see during that short time. It was all on paper, so no digital record. During its temporary independence, the wire took on the flavor of AP or Reuters or any other good “Western” news organization. There has always been a latency in Xinhua to be more loyal to news values than to cultural or government values, and the government is letting a lot more of that material through these days. I’m with Yueyang and also agree about al Jazeera. Western media have their own peculiar biases, most obviously the U.S., where everything is sanitized and deeply meaningful, even if in fact it’s bloody and meaningless.
- rt
Jim is their primary consultant. Why don’t you ask him!
- Kristina
Correction
This old timer WAS a consultant to AJE (2008-2009)
Am now a consultant to Xinhua’s competition — CCTV English
Has anyone noticed? they re-launched their channel last week.
No longer channel 9 – now re-branded CCTV NEWS
In response to the Xinhua English TV initiative.
Ben Bradley at the Washington Post years ago was said to have created something called
‘creative tension’ at the paper.
The Chinese state propaganda administration – make that ‘Publicity’ bureau…
seeks to do something similar in China
Pitting two organizations against each other to represent China to the World!
The State Council will oversee both.
Don’t expect a great flowering of independence but do expect a lot of money to be spent in the next six months or so.
And some creative tension. It’ll be fascinating to watch.
- Jim
In my opinion, something worth thinking of is what the alternative of “those goons” would be. There is no other actor that could govern China for the moment, and with historical events in minds, few Chinese would probably like to plunge their country to chaos or civil war again by an uprising.
Obviously, CCP is very far from the ideal governors of China, but for the moment, they are most likely the best alternative. China didn’t have 60 years of peace since the Tang dynasty, and never before have so many people being lifted out of poverty.
“A people get the government they deserve” might be a bit harsh. A lot of governments, including that of China, are results from colonial activities, and will hopefully improve by time. But rather than revolution, let the change come gradually, from within institutions, work slow to improve the party from within, or to establish any alternative governor.
Just the fact that Jim Laurie is hired as a consultant for state media shows that huge changes have been made in a couple decades – even if there is still a long way to go.
For the benefit of everyone: 慢慢来
- Jojje
Wow, nice little flame war we have going here. But I think it’s a microcosm of a larger world debate, and I’ve already learned things. In that spirit, and against my diplomatic instincts, I offer my comments…
It seems to me that there is no credible alternative to the CCP because the CCP makes very sure that there cannot be. The leaders of the Chinese Democratic Party are mostly still in prison after arrests in 1998. Then came the New Democracy Party of China, and Guo Quan was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2009 (after Yahoo, an American company, gave his emails to the CCP, it should be noted.)
I support the CCP when it does the right thing for its people and the world. I think the economic progress that the CCP has directed for China has made is very impressive. I do not support the CCP when it goes against the interests of its own people, in order to stay in power.
So here are my questions for my Chinese colleagues:
In what ways will CCTV and Xinhua news channels benefit the Chinese people and the world, if their message is controlled by the CCP? In what ways will it not benefit the Chinese people and the world?
I don’t imagine that the answers are simple.
- Jonathan
Sometimes, things are simple, people make them complicated.
I don’t understand politics, but it’s good to be aware of the existence of politics. I’m so not ready to comment on the benefits, but Chinese people, as a whole group, are diversified in unimaginable ways. So it’s better off seeing it from an universal perspective, or a more human perspective. We are expecting a media channel to reflect that.
We’ll see.
- Yi
Surely any voice will add to our understanding of the world’s events.
Currently, if a global event takes place and you only speak English, three immediate options you have are:
US media
European media (mainly a British perspective if you only speak English), or
a Middle Eastern perspective thanks to Al Jazeera.We can easily afford to hear a Chinese opinion on the world’s events.
Saying that Chinese media can’t criticise the Chinese government is a bit simplistic. However, let’s assume for now that Xinhua won’t be as critical of the Chinese government as some want it to be – so what?
Al Jazeera doesn’t criticise it’s ruling royal family and Fox News doesn’t criticise it’s government (well, the republican half of its government, anyway).
Imagine a bomb goes off at the World Cup this summer in South Africa. We’ll all want to know what happened, why, and what it means to everybody else.
There’s no reason why the Chinese media will do a worse job than than the BBC or CNN.And if it’s criticism of the Chinese government you want when you read your news, just go to Fox.
- Richard
This has been a good exchange that I believe has run its course. Go report some news and watch your editors hack it up.
-rt
The World’s Most Blamed PowerPoint
On the New York Times website, a jaw-dropping military strategy diagram triggered a wave of PowerPoint aversion.
"We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint. - New York Times".
Well, obviously the designers just watch too many episodes of the “lost”.
To trace back the origin of PowerPoint- the point of PowerPoint is to make a powerful point. And it used to work out well.
When I was in college, we only had bulletins in PowerPoint. Nowadays PowerPoint has everything but bulletins. Dynamic images, flying around hyper-links, embedments, attachments, and tons of other disguised high-techs .
The leaked PowerPoint has a consulting firm’s logo on it- PA Consulting Group. No wonder.
Service industries are pioneers of advocating “advanced” PowerPoint. It is very common to see Junior staff working over time making slides, senior staff constantly changing comments on slides and presenters blaming slides when failing at pitch meetings. It is true that the ultimate goal is to sell the service, and showing off fancy charts do make presenters look smart. But instead of a “spaghetti-like” PowerPoint, will people feel insulted when facing a simple, clean, neat, yet informative PowerPoint? Normally not.
“Wow”s can surprise them, but it is the “Aha”s that persuade them.
Why to use PowerPoint? How to use it? Who to use it? When to use it? It doesn’t matter who will be the next to be blamed, as long as these questions are not answered.
Here is a PowerPoint that explains many things, or everything.
Fwd: International Media Conference 2010
SUNDAY, APRIL 25
12:00-4:30 pm: Conference Registration, Check-in at Hotel Jen and Robert Black College
5:30 pm: Shuttles depart for the Foreign Correspondents’ Club from Robert Black College (RBC), HKU, and Hotel Jen
6:00-8:00 pm: Opening Reception
Venue: Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) – North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong
• Preview of “Assignment China” Documentary by Mike Chinoy, Senior Fellow, US-China Institute, University of Southern California, USA. Documentary covers the history of US media reporting on China.
8:15 pm: Shuttles depart from FCC back to RBC & Hotel Jen
All morning and afternoon sessions will be held at the Graduate House Conference Centre at The University of Hong Kong.
MONDAY, APRIL 26
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
8:00 am: FIRST Shuttle departs from Hotel Jen to HKU
8:15 am: FINAL Shuttles depart from Hotel Jen to HKU
8:00-8:30 am: Conference Registration Check-in at the Graduate House Conference Centre
8:45-9:00 am: Welcome Message
• Ms. CHAN Yuen Ying, Professor and Director, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong and Conference Co-Chair, Hong Kong SAR
• Ms. Susan KREIFELS, Media Programs Coordinator, East-West Center, and Conference Co-Chair, USA
• Dr. Charles E. MORRISON, President, East-West Center, USA
9:00-9:20 am: Opening Address
• Dr. Roland CHIN, Chair, Research Grants Council, HKSAR; Professor, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR
Opening Morning Theme: New Political and Economic Realities in the Asia Pacific
9:30-10:30 am: Keynote Plenary I
Official Conference Supporter: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.
Shifting Power Relations in Asia and the Pacific
• Dr. Sanjaya BARU, Editor, Business Standard, Former Media Advisor for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India
• Mr. INA Hisayoshi, Columnist and Vice Chair of Editorial Board, The Nikkei Newspapers, Japan
• Dr. JIN Canrong, Professor and Associate Dean, School of International Studies, Renmin University, China
• Ambassador K. KESAVAPANY, Director, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore
• Moderator: Dr. Charles E. MORRISON, President, East-West Center, Hawaii, USA
10:30-10:45 am: Coffee/Tea Break
Official Sponsor: Alibaba Group
10:45-11:45 am: Keynote Plenary II
Asia Moving Forward – Successful Economies in a Global World
• Akira KOJIMA, Senior Fellow, Japan Center for Economic Research (JCER), Japan
• Dr. Sanjaya BARU, Editor, Business Standard, Former Media Advisor for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India
• Ms. Jing ULRICH, Managing Director and Chairman, China Equities and Commodities, J.P. Morgan, Hong Kong SAR
• Moderator: Robyn MEREDITH, Senior Editor, Asia, Forbes Magazine and author of “The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it
> Means for All of Us,” Hong Kong SAR
12:15-1:30 pm: Luncheon Keynote Address
Venue: Loke Yew Hall, Main Building
Official Sponsor: Pacific Century Institute
• Dr. Surin PITSUWAN, Secretary-General, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia
2:00-3:00 pm: Session One
Group 1 – Asia’s Environmental Dilemma
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
• Mr. Pratim Ranjan BOSE, Special Correspondent, The Hindu Business Line, India – “India: Balancing Between Growth and Environment”
• Mr. Ronald HENKOFF, Editor, Bloomberg Markets Magazine, USA – “Other Side of Growth”
• Mr. JEON Byung Geun, Staff Writer, World News Desk, The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea – “UN Report on Climate Change and How Media Cover the Issue”
• Mr. XIN Benjian, Editor, International News Channel, People’s Daily Online, China – “Why China Will Take Climate Change Seriously”
• Moderator: Ms. Satwant KAUR, Regional Information Officer, United Nations Environment Programme, Thailand
Group 2 – Asia’s Emerging Democracies
Venue: P603
• Mr. Ramin ANWARI, Online Producer, BBC, Afghanistan
• Mr. Harry BHASKARA, Senior Editor, Jakarta Post, Indonesia – “Legacy of Dictatorship Holds Back Indonesia’s Democracy”
• Mr. Kunda DIXIT, Publisher and Editor, Himalmedia, Nepal
• Mr. Kamal SIDDIQI, Editor, The Express Tribune, Pakistan
• Timor Leste Panelist To Be Confirmed
• Moderator: Hugo RESTALL, Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal, Hong Kong SAR
Group 3 – Pacific Update
Venue: P503
• Ms. Philippa MCDONALD, Senior Reporter, ABC TV, Australia – “Australia-Pacific Island Relations”
• Mr. Elliot RAPHAEL, Senior Partner, National Broadcasting Corporation, Papua New Guinea
• Mr. Shailendra Bahadur SINGH, Head of Journalism, School of Language Arts and Media, The University of the South Pacific, Fiji – Media Issues
• Ms. Julie STARR, Founder of AllAbouttheStory.com; Chief Blogger at The Evolving Newsroom; Editor in Residence at Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology); New Zealand – “Economic Impact of Internet Infrastructure, Broadband Uptake and the Film/Graphic Arts Industry”
• Moderator: Mrs. Karen KNUDSEN, Director, External Affairs, East-West Center, USA
Group 4 – Community-Driven Media: Capacity Building for Indigenous People and Refugees
Venue: P501
• Mr. George FALLON, Director, Sandtraks, Australia – “Sandtraks Pathways to Celebrating Indigenous Culture”
• Mr. Jerry HARTMAN, Assistant Professor of Media/Producer, Walla Walla University/Eclectic Reel, LLC, USA – “Helping Communities Tell THEIR Stories to the World”
• Mrs. Machelle HARTMAN, Adjunct Faculty/Producer, Walla Walla University/Eclectic Reel, LLC, USA – “Helping Communities Tell THEIR Stories to the World”
• Moderator and Panelist: Ms. Martha MOLLISON, Director, Dancing Iris Video Pty. Ltd., Australia – “Working with the Stakeholders”
Group 5 – Local Language/English Language Media Coverage
Venue: P601
• Mr. Mahbubul ALAM, Editor, The Independent, Bangladesh
• Mr. Tridivesh Singh MAINI, Research Associate, Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore
• Mr. Lin NEUMANN, Chief Editor, Jakarta Globe, Indonesia – “Role of Local English-Language Media in Asia”
• Mr. YAU Lap-Poon, Editor in Chief, Yazhou Zhoukan (Asia Weekly), Hong Kong
• Moderator and Panelist: Dr. Thomas BRISLIN, Professor and Chair, Academy for Creative Media, University of Hawaii Manoa, USA
Group 6 – Workshop: Investigative Reporting
Venue: P603
• Ms. Sheila S. CORONEL, Director and Professor, Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, USA
3:00-3:15 pm: Coffee/Tea Break
3:15-4:15 pm: Session Two
Group 1 – US Economy
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
• Ms. Jennifer ABELSON, Retail Reporter, The Boston Globe, USA – “Olympic Dreams, Earthly Realities: US Retailers’ Efforts to Expand in China Before and After the 2008 Games”
• Mr. Tim HIGGINS, Automotive Reporter, Detroit Free Press, USA – “Detroit: A New Hope for the US Auto Industry a Year After the Bailouts”
• Ms. Susan LISOVICZ, Free-lance journalist and former CNN Correspondent, USA – “The Next Big Overhaul: Wall Street & Washington Post-Financial Crisis, Pre-Midterm Election”
• Mr. Howard SCHNEIDER, International Economic Correspondent, The Washington Post, USA – “Whiners and Winners—Barack Obama’s Coming Fight over Industrial Policy and Jobs”
• Mr. Jim WASSERMAN, Senior Business Writer, The Sacramento Bee, USA – “Horrors on the Home Front: Life Inside the US Housing Meltdown”
• Moderator: Ms. Dee DEPASS, Business Reporter, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis), USA
Group 2 – Electing Asia
Venue: P602
• Mr. Kavi CHONGKITTAVORN, Senior Editor and Columnist, The Nation, Thailand – “Electing Me, Electing You: Politics of Thai Elections”
• Mr. Rathindra KURUWITA, Assistant News Editor, Lakbimanews, Sri Lanka – “General Election 2010: The Unresolved Issue of Tamil IDP Voters”
• Mr. Ye Naing MOE, Director/Journalism Trainer, The Citizen Information Network, Myanmar
• Mr. Aung ZAW, Editor/Managing Director, Irrawaddy Media Co. Ltd., Thailand – “Burma Election 2010: When Tigers Eat Grass”
• Moderator and Panelist: Mr. John NERY, Senior Editor and Editorial Page Columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines – “Systems and Surveys, Scions and Self-made Billionaires”
Group 3 – North Korea and Denuclearization
Venue: P503
• Mr. Mike CHINOY, Senior Fellow, US-China Institute, University of Southern California, USA – “The North Korean Nuclear Issue: Breakthrough or Breakdown?”
• Mr. INA Hisayoshi, Columnist and Vice Chair of the Editorial Board, The Nikkei Newspapers, Japan
• Mr. LEE Sang-ki, Founding President, Asia Journalists Association, South Korea
• Mr. LEE Young Jong, Senior Staff Reporter, Political News Desk, JoongAng Ilbo, South Korea
• Mr. DENG Zhixin, Editor of Editorial Department, Southern Metropolis Daily, China
• Moderator: Dr. Christopher MCNALLY, Fellow, Research Program, East-West Center, USA
Group 4 – Workshop: Covering China – “Navigating Obstacles and Keeping Sources Safe”
Venue: P601
• Ms. Jocelyn FORD, Free-lance journalist, China
Group 5 – Workshop: Effective Communicating Behaviors for a Western Audience
(Geared for Non-Western Participants)
Venue: P501
• Ms. Marilee MORROW, Director, Master of International Corporate Media Program and Assistant Professor, Marietta College, USA
4:15-4:30 pm: Coffee/Tea Break
4:30-5:30 pm: Session Three
Group 1 – Terrorism and Security in South Asia
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
• Mr. Ramin ANWARI, Online Producer, BBC, Afghanistan
• Mr. Naveen GAREWAL, Special Correspondent, Editorial, The Tribune, India
• Mr. William GERTZ, Geopolitics Editor, The Washington Times, USA
• Mr. Rasheed KHAN Safi, Staff Reporter in Peshawar, Daily Mashriq, Pakistan
• Moderator: Mr. Nisid HAJARI, Director of Editorial Development, Newsweek, USA
Group 2 – Regional Economic Outlook
Venue: P602
• Mr. Takuya KARUBE, Staff Reporter, World Service Section, Kyodo News, Japan – “Key Economic Challenges Facing Japan: Is There Any Way Out of a Long Slump?”
• Ms. Ann QUON, Principal Director, Department of External Relations, ADB – “Exiting the Crisis: Macroeconomic Policy Challenges for Asia”
• Ms. Afshan SUBOHI, Assistant Editor, Dawn Newspaper, Pakistan – “Government Subsidies: Hidden, Direct, Indirect”
• Taiwan Panelist To Be Confirmed
• Moderator: Mr. Howard SCHNEIDER, International Economic Correspondent, The Washington Post, USA
Group 3 – Environmental Updates
Venue: P503
• Mr. Kiran CHAPAGAIN, Political Affairs Editor, Political Bureau, Nepal Republic Media, Nepal
• Ms. Sandy HAUSMAN, Charlottesville Bureau Chief, Virginia Public Radio, USA
• Ms. Satwant KAUR, Regional Information Officer, United Nations Environment Programme, Bangkok
• Ms. Christine LOH, Chief Executive Officer, Civic Exchange, Hong Kong SAR
• Mr. Kevaljit S. SANDHU, Broadcast Journalist, Mediacorp PTE Ltd., Singapore
• Moderator: Mr. Ronald HENKOFF, Editor, Bloomberg Markets Magazine, USA
Group 4 – Reporting on Minorities: Indigenous People, Ethnic Minorities and Children
Venue: P601
• Ms. Martha MOLLISON, Director, Dancing Iris Video, Australia
• Mr. Binod PAHADI, Chief Editor, Nepali Manch Magazine, Nepal
• Mr. Irfan Fadli RASYAD, Cameraman, Global TV, Indonesia
• Mr. Aung ZAW, Founder and Editor, Irrawaddy Magazine, Thailand
• Moderator: Ms. Dee DEPASS, Business Reporter, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis), USA
Group 5 – Media Issues
Venue: P602
• Mr. LEE Young Sung, Deputy Managing Editor, Hankook Ilbo, South Korea – “Future of South Korean Media”
• Mr. Ye Naing MOE, Director, Journalism Trainer, The Citizen Information Network, Myanmar – “Media Issues in Myanmar”
• Dr. NAKACHI Kiyoshi, Professor, Meio University, Okinawa, Japan – “The Role of Media in Covering the US Military”
• Mr. Pradip PARIYAR, Associate Media Manager, Search for Common Ground, Nepal – “Youth, Peace-Building and Conflict-Resolution Media”
• Ms. XU Shi, Executive Editor-in-Chief, Asian Games Website, Netease, China – “New Media in China”
• Taiwan Panelist to Be Confirmed
• Moderator: Mr. John SCHIDLOVSKY, Director, International Reporting Project, The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, USA
Group 6 – Workshop: Health Reporting
Venue: P501
• Mr. Thomas ABRAHAM, Director, Public Health Communication Programme, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
5:30 pm: Shuttles depart from HKU to Hotel Jen
6:30 pm: Shuttles depart from RBC and Hotel Jen to La Dynastie Banquet Hall
7:00-9:00 pm: Keynote Dinner Address
Venue: La Dynastie Banquet Hall – Cyberport, 100 Cyberport Road, Pok Fu Lam
Official Sponsor: Better Hong Kong Foundation
• Dr. Kurt CAMPBELL, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, USA – “American Engagement and Asia”
9:15 pm: Shuttles depart from La Dynastie Banquet Hall to RBC and Hotel Jen
TUESDAY, APRIL 27
8:30 am: Shuttles depart from Hotel Jen to HKU
Opening Morning Theme: New Media Realities
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
9:00-10:00 am: Keynote Plenary III
Media Pioneers – Changing the Way People Get News and Shape Views
• Ms. CHEN Juhong, Editor in Chief, qq.com, Tencent, China
• Mr. Steven GAN, Co-Founder and Editor, Malaysiakini, Malaysia
• Ms. Julie STARR, Founder of AllAbouttheStory.com; Chief Blogger at The Evolving Newsroom; Editor in Residence at Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology), New Zealand
• Mr. Tarun TEJPAL, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, Tehelka, India
• Moderator: Ms. Sheila S. CORONEL, Director and Professor, Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, USA
10:00-10:15 am: Coffee/Tea Break
10:15-11:15 am: Keynote Plenary IV
Sustainable Media Models in the Internet Age
• Anurag BATRA, Chairman and Editor in Chief, exchange4media Group, India
• Mr. Joshua BENTON, Director, Nieman Journalism Lab, Harvard University, USA
• Mr. Reginald CHUA, Editor, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong SAR
• Mr. Thomas CRAMPTON, Asia Pacific Director, 360 Digital Influence, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Hong Kong SAR
• Moderator: Mr. Almar LATOUR, Editor in Chief, Asia, The Wall Street Journal, Hong Kong SAR
11:45-1:00 pm: Luncheon Keynote Address
Venue: Loke Yew Hall, Main Building
• Ms. HU Shuli, Editor in Chief, Caixin Media, China
1:30-2:30 pm: Session One
Group 1 – Internet Freedom and Government Regulations
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
• Mr. David BANDURSKI, Research Associate, China Media Project, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR – “Global Context”
• Ms. Clarissa OON, Senior Correspondent, The Straits Times, Singapore – “Comparing Internet Regulations in Singapore and Malaysia to China”
• Professor WU Fei, Associate Professor, Jinan University, China – “Chinese Internet Industry Policy: Censorship or Trade Protectionism?”
• Mr. LIU Songjie, Managing Editor, Op-Ed Channel, Netease.com News Center, China – “Internet in China”
• Moderator: Professor Peter HERFORD, Professor, Cheung Kong School of Journalism and Communication, Shantou University, China
Group 2 – Regional Architecture
Venue: P602
• Mr. Kavi CHONGKITTAVORN, Senior Editor, The Nation, Thailand
• Mr. Takuya KARUBE, Staff Reporter, World Services Section, International Department, Kyodo News, Japan – “Japan’s Ambiguous Approach to Asia’s Multi-Layered Efforts for Regional Economic Integration”
• Mr. LEE Heung Cheol, Deputy-Director of Political and Foreign Affairs Team, Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), South Korea – “Possible Agenda for G20 Seoul Summit and Implication for Korean Peninsula Securities: Korean Perspective”
• Ms. Philippa MCDONALD, Senior Reporter, ABC TV, Australia – “Australia’s Aspirations: An Asia Pacific Community that Deals with the Economic and Strategic Challenges of the 21 Century”
• Moderator: Mr. Hugo RESTALL, Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal, Hong Kong SAR
Group 3 – Critics and Creativity: Emerging Voices in Asia Pacific Cinema
Venue: P503
• Mr. (Jimmy) CHOI Kam Chuen, Part-Time Lecturer, Academy of Film, VideoPower, Hong Kong SAR
• Ms. Jeannette Paulson HERENIKO, President, AsiaPacificFilms.com, USA
• Mr. Freddie WONG, Producer of “The Drunkard,” Former Head, Hong Kong Film Critics Association, Hong Kong SAR
• Moderator and Panelist: Dr. Thomas BRISLIN, Professor and Chair, Academy for Creative Media, University of Hawaii Manoa, USA
Group 4 – Workshop: Reporting Conflict – “Dying to Tell the Story”
Venue: P601
• Mr. Shyam TEKWANI, Associate Professor, Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, USA
Group 5 – Workshop: Hands-On Video Workshop – “Practical Help for Using Video in Reporting and Storytelling Video Production”
Venue: P501
• Mr. George FALLON, Director, Sandtraks, Australia
• Ms. Martha MOLLISON, Director, Dancing Iris Video, Australia
2:30-2:45 pm: Coffee/Tea Break
2:45-3:45 pm: Session Two
Group 1 – Obama Policy and Shifting Power Relations
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
• Mr. Ramin ANWARI, Online Producer, BBC, Afghanistan
• Ms. Mariana BAABAR, Diplomatic Correspondent, The News, Pakistan
• Mr. HAN Yong Kirl, Deputy Editor, International Desk, The Segye Times, South Korea
• Mr. Lin NEUMANN, Chief Editor, Jakarta Globe, Indonesia
• Mr. YUAN Tiecheng, Chief Writer for Foreign Affairs, Caijing Guojia Zhoukan, Xinhua News Agency, China – “Next Critical Period for US-China Relations”
• Moderator: Mr. Keith BRADSHER, Hong Kong Bureau Chief, The New York Times, Hong Kong SAR
Group 2 – Future of Hong Kong
Venue: P602
• Mr. David DONALD, Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR – “Hong Kong Financial Markets”
• Mr. Mark SHELDON, Honorary Lecturer, International Asian Studies Program, The Chinese University of Hong, Hong Kong SAR – “Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong”
• Ms. Anna WU Hung-yuk, Member, Executive Council of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR – “The Political Evolution of the HKSAR”
• Mr. Chris YEUNG, Chairman, Hong Kong News Executives’ Association; News Director, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Hong Kong SAR – “Hong Kong Media”
• Moderator: Mr. Glenn SHIVE, Executive Director, Hong Kong America Center, Hong Kong SAR
Group 3 – Reporting Human Rights
Venue: P503
• Mr. Andreas HARSONO, Human Rights Watch, Indonesia
• Mr. Ahmed Abidur Razzque KHAN, Human Rights and Peace Studies Program, Mahidol University, Thailand – “Reporting Human Rights: The Case of New Boat People in Asia”
• Mr. PHELIM Kline, Asia Researcher, Human Rights Watch, Hong Kong SAR
• Mr. Ryan SCHLIEF, Program Manager, Witness, USA – “Using Video to Open the Eyes of the World to Human Rights Violations”
• Moderator: Ms. Leslie HOOK, Editorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal Asia, Hong Kong SAR
Group 4 – Frontlines and Deadlines: Perspectives on Conflict Reporting
Venue: P603
• Ms. Amalia CABUSAO, Editor in Chief, Mindanao Times, Philippines
• Mr. Rasheed KHAN Safi, Staff Reporter, Daily Mashriq, Peshawar, Pakistan
• Mr. Abdul Qadir MERZAI, News Head, Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN), Afghanistan
• Mr. Shyam TEKWANI, Associate Professor, Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, USA
• Moderator: Mr. John NERY, Senior Editor, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines
Group 5 – Workshop: Multimedia Reporting – “Digital Storytelling: Reporting for Multimedia, Infographics and Beyond”
Venue: P501
• Ms. Lam VO, Multimedia Editor, The Wall Street Journal Asia, Hong Kong SAR
3:45-4:00 pm: Coffee/Tea Break
4:00-5:00 pm: Session Three
Group 1 – US Today: A Snapshot of Current American Issues
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
• Mr. Bill GERTZ, Geopolitics Editor, The Washington Times, USA
• Mr. Nisid HAJARI, Director of Editorial Development, Newsweek, USA
• Ms. Sandy HAUSMAN, Bureau Chief, Virginia Public Radio, USA
• Ms. Kristi HEIM, Business Reporter, The Seattle Times, USA
• Moderator: Ms. Karin FISCHER, Senior Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education, USA
Group 2 – Islam in a Globalized World (CANCELLED)
New Panel:
Regional Media Issues
Venue: P603
• Ms. Sara FARR, Reporter, Macau TV
• Ms. Johanna SON, Regional Director, IPS Asia-Pacific, Thailand
• Mr. Michael Chia-Chang YU, Adviser, Association of Taiwan Journalists, Taiwan
• Ms. Lily YULIANTI, Founder, Panyingkul!, Indonesia
• Moderator: Mr. Lin NEUMANN, Chief Editor, Jakarta Globe, Indonesia
Group 3 – Media Freedom: Challenges to Reporting Fairly and Factually
Venue: P503
• Mr. Kunda DIXIT, Publisher and Editor, Himalmedia, Nepal
• Ms. Jocelyn FORD, Media Freedom Committee, Foreign Correspondents’ Club, China
• Mr. Rathindra KURUWITA, Assistant News Editor, Lakbimanews, Sri Lanka
• Ms. MAK Yin Ting, Chairperson, Hong Kong Journalists Association, Hong Kong SAR
• Mr. PHELIM Kine, Asia Researcher, Human Rights Watch, Hong Kong SAR
• Moderator: Mr. Jim LAURIE, Director, Broadcasting Programme, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
Group 4 – Opportunities for Journalists and Media Entrepreneurs
Venue: P602
• Mr. Joshua BENTON, Director, Nieman Journalism Lab, Harvard University, USA – “Nieman Fellowships and Other Opportunities for Journalists”
• Ms. Sheila CORONEL, Director and Professor, Tony Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, USA
• Ms. Ann HARTMAN, Program Coordinator, East-West Seminars, East-West Center, USA – “East-West Center Journalism Fellowships and Exchanges”
• Ms. Michelle LE, Director, International Programs, The Fund for American Studies, USA
• Mr. Paul LINNARZ, Director of Media Programme Asia, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Singapore
• Moderator: Mr. John SCHIDLOVSKY, Director, International Reporting Project, The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, USA
Group 5 – Workshop: Using Social Media in Journalism – “A Journalist’s Guide to Social Media: What Every Journalist Needs to Know”
Venue: P501
• Mr. Thomas CRAMPTON, Asia Pacific Director, 360 Digital Influence, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Hong Kong SAR
5:00-5:15 pm: Coffee/Tea Break
5:15-6:15 pm: Session Four
Group 1 – Assignment China
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
• Mr. Frank CHING, Columnist and Commentator, Hong Kong SAR
• Ms. Jocelyn FORD, Free-Lance Journalist, China
• Mr. Jim LAURIE, Broadcasting Programme, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
• Moderator: Mr. Mike CHINOY, Producer, “Assignment China” Documentary on History of US Media Reporting on China, and Senior Fellow, US-China Institute, University of Southern California, USA
Group 2 – Media Legal Defense in Asia
Venue: P503
Co-Hosted with the Media Law Project, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, and the Centre for Comparative and Public Law, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
• H.R. DIPENDRA, Network Coordinator, South East Asia Media Legal Defense Network, Malaysia
• Aung HTOO, General Secretary, Burma Lawyers’ Council, Sweden
• H. Harry L. ROQUE Jr., Director, Center for International Law, Philippines
• Sinfah TUNSARAWUTH, Media Lawyer, Thailand
• Moderator: Ms. Doreen WEISENHAUS, Associate Professor and Director, Media Law Project, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
6:30 pm: Shuttles depart from HKU to Hotel Jen
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28
8:30 am: Shuttles depart from Hotel Jen to HKU
Opening Morning Theme: All Eyes on China
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre
9:00-10:00 am: Keynote Plenary V
Cross-Strait Relations
• Dr. CHU Shulong, Professor and Deputy Director, Institute of International Strategic and Development Studies, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, China
• Dr. Alexander HUANG Chieh-Cheng, Professor, Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University; Senior Associate, International Security Program, Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS), Taipei
• Moderator and Panelist: Ambassador Ray BURGHARDT, Director, East-West Seminars, East-West Center; Chairman of the Board of Trustees, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), USA
10:00-10:15 am: Coffee/Tea Break
10:15-10:35 am: Keynote Address
• Mr. FAN Yijin, Dean, School of Journalism and Communication, Jinan University, China – “China Media in the Reform Era”
10:45-12:00 am: Chinese Editors Round Table – Future of Media in China
• Ms. CHEN Juhong, Editor in Chief, qq.com, Tencent, China
• Mr. HU Zhanfen, Chief of Op-Ed and Commentary Section, Xinmin Weekly, China
• Mr. MENG Bo, Editor in Chief, Sina.com, China
• Mr. QIAN Gang, Director of China Media Project, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
• Ms. YU Wei, Director of Editorial Operations, Sohu.com, China
• Moderator: Ms. CHAN Yuen-Ying, Professor and Director, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong and Conference Co-Chair, Hong Kong SAR
12:10 pm: Shuttles depart from HKU to La Dynastie Banquet Hall
12:30-1:45 pm: Luncheon Editors Round Table
Venue: La Dynastie Banquet Hall – Cyberport, 100 Cyberport Road, Pok Fu Lam
Regional Media Cooperation
• Mr. Mahbubul ALAM, Editor and Publisher, The Independent, Bangladesh
• Ms. CHEN Juhong, Editor-in-Chief, qq.com, Tencent, China
• Mr. Reginald CHUA, Editor, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong SAR
• Mr. Kunda DIXIT, Publisher and Editor, Himalmedia, Nepal
• Mr. Ivan LIM, President, Asia Journalist Association, Singapore
• Mr. Kamal SIDDIQI, Editor, The Express Tribune, Pakistan
• Moderator: Ms. Susan KREIFELS, Media Programs Coordinator, East-West Center, and Conference Co-Chair, USA
CONFERENCE CLOSES
2:00 pm: Shuttles depart for Hong Kong Island Tour. Return to RBC/Hotel Jen at 7:00 pm.
Troubled Magazine
When rumors of an upcoming management upheaval at Caijing Magazine, a well-known business and politics publication in mainland China, spread in the market, the head of its public relation team stepped up to deny the stories and vowed to take legal action against the rumormongers.
Only half a month later, on Oct. 15 the shares of SEEC Media Group Ltd., Caijing’s parent company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, slumped for a third day. The company released a formal statement declaring that the resignations of Caijing’s general manager, Wu Chuanhui, along with eight department directors and sixty members of the operational staff had been approved by the board.
One month after Ms. Wu’s departure, Hu Shuli, the founder and managing editor of Caijing, published her last editorial for the magazine and updated her final blog associated with the magazine’s online platform, stating, “There have been many regrets, yet much gratification and excitement… I am true to myself, but there should have been more things I wanted to do…”
The changes did not come out of blue.
As the managing editor, Ms. Hu’s editorial independence was often interfered with by the biggest shareholder – the Government Bond Association, which is a state-owned conglomerate.
Although she was the founder, she did not have a say in the boardroom. She was not able to persuade the real decision-makers about the necessity of fundraising for long-term strategic development and stock option incentives, instead of simply taking away the handsome profits generated by her magazine to mitigate the losses of the parent company’s other publications.
Among all SEEC Media Group’s publications, Caijing is always the best performing one, not only operationally but also financially. In addition to its circulation revenue, even during economic downturn, the advertising revenue soared 50 per cent, while other SEEC Media Group publications’ revenue streams contracted rapidly, according to SEEC’s Yr2009 mid-term financial report. It shows Caijing generated HK$54.1 million, contributing almost half of the revenue for SEEC.
“Caijing has proved that high-quality news reporting can make a profit,” journalism professor Ying Chan at the University of Hong Kong said.
The magazine got its start in Oct. 2000, with an investigative news report revealing the huge amount of illegal transactions inside the Chinese fund industry, which lashed out China’s capital market
In the following years, Caijing pummeled the government about corruption, insider trading, corporate fraud, etc., living up its reputation in the news industry. “If you talk about investigative reporting in China, Caijing is bound to be number one,” said Wang Keqing, a mainland investigative journalist and popular blogger famous for his reporting on the misappropriation of public assets.
Given that publications in China are widely censored by the central government, especially when politics-related stories are involved, Caijing’s coverage was considered as “aggressive” and Ms. Hu as “the most dangerous woman in China”, according to the New York Times.
But Ms. Hu, once worked for the party propaganda newspaper called Worker’s Daily, was fully aware of where the boundaries of allowable journalism lay, and she was careful not to cross them, although she managed to push them, painstakingly.
Beyond that there is the magazine’s biggest institutional investor, the Government Bond Association, led by Wang Mingbo, who is the son of a former vice minister of foreign affairs. “This could be our huge advantage of reporting sensitive issues. When it comes to stories that other magazines do not ‘dare’ to cover, we sort of have the news monopoly,” said a source at Caijing who was unwilling to disclose the name.
However, its special “bond” with the government might as well be a double-edged sword. When the central government fumbles about the solution to the increase in social instability recently, Caijing’s coverage became “rather gentle compared to its once aggressive style”, the anonymous source at Caijing said, adding, “This could be a part of the reason for Ms. Hu’s departure.”
Normally, the key revenue driver should always be encouraged and differentiated from other non-performing segments. However, although Caijing has done such a good job, SEEC, as an integrated publishing company, has to subsidize its laggard publications, by taking away credits earned by Caijing. “This could be an issue inside SEEC,” said Qian Gang, former Southern Weekly managing editor. Ms. Hu had been trying to push the board to generate a new approach of re-structuring the shareholding since the beginning of 2008, and the break-down of her final negotiations with the board led to her departure.
Ms. Hu has declined to comment on her resignation, but she keeps in touch with her readers, through her personal blog. The most recent article she wrote still expresses optimism. “How about the future? I have not thought it through, although I do have a general plan, so one step at a time,” she wrote. “The good thing is we believe this is an era fulfilled with opportunities, which bring us challenge and hope.”
Change the climate and crash the market
“People tend to focus on the here and now. The problem is that, once global warming is something that most people can feel in the course of their daily lives, it will be too late to prevent much larger, potentially catastrophic changes.” – Elizabeth Kolbert
It was not until the collapse of Lehman Brothers that most people realized, “Oops…Buh!”
Yes, most people were not “prescient” enough, no matter on the subject of financial crisis or climate change. However, the terrible fact is that an empty pocket will bring more direct attention. We witness the subprime-turned-crime caused hundreds of thousands of layoffs, but we can hardly tell the rise of sea level. Here is a joke about global warming- “Take along your swimming suit and play with more water!”
Well, it is not funny at all.
There is a possibility of reversion in the long run. If you screw up your balance sheet, you may actually repair the impairment again, gradually; but if you mess up the glacier, is it possible to freeze it back? Or, you can consult the NASA and make sure you work hard and fast enough to make a wealth of money to migrate to the outer space before your current residence is flooded.
Here is an idea.
Those real estate tycoons sneakily store the land instead of building new property. And they always “educate” us or hire people to educate us that the land is always a limited resource and bully us the price will always go up, sometimes “U shape”, “V shape”, “W shape” or whatever the hell the shape it is- it is an up trend. So how about we hire a bunch of scientists to warn them that their newly awarded land, landmark buildings and ultra luxury hotels will sink into water in five years. And we conspire with their insurers and law councils to threaten them they cannot get a cent back. Then these tycoons will fight with those hefty contributors of carbon dioxide emission. At last we may have a not bad ending.
But it is too costly and not legal yet. The charge rate of these insurance companies and law firms is freakishly high. So we have to save that scene into Hollywood’s next blockbuster.
Please do not get upset yet. If preventing is tough, can we at least sustain?
Alternatively and luckily, we have new energy, which will help people on climate sustainability and make profit. But let put aside the global market of new energy, have a look at a country’s market.
Recently, China opens its ChiNext market, a new platform for startups, including a considerable amount of new energy companies. Here is a list of P/E ratios to date (as of Nov. 17).
| S&P 500 | 21 |
| Nasdaq composite index | 35 |
| Brazil Bovespa index | 25 |
| Shanghai composite index | 33 |
| ChiNext index | 96 |
ChiNext reminds people 0f the crazy valuation of high-tech startups that listed in Nasdaq during 2001. So now, a dysfunctional market like this is helpful for the development of new energy or not? When you ask for a glass of beer but only get a glass of bubbles, the reasonable response should be get back your money and stay away from that bar.
Unless people learn the lessons from the past, especially when their personal benefits are not consistent with the majorities’; unless people manage their demands well, especially when they become powerful or unless people experience a completely destroyed world that cannot be recovered anymore, otherwise we will have to cope with all the twists and turns, ups and downs by crashing and rebuilding.
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