Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIJING12885
2006-06-19 10:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTARY CALLS FOR LOOSENING LEASH

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KCUL SOCI CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHBJ #2885/01 1701015
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 191015Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9531
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 012885 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2031
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCUL SOCI CH
SUBJECT: CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTARY CALLS FOR LOOSENING LEASH
ON CHINA'S MEDIA


Classified By: Acting Political Section Internal Unit Chief Susan A. Th
ornton. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 012885

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2031
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCUL SOCI CH
SUBJECT: CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTARY CALLS FOR LOOSENING LEASH
ON CHINA'S MEDIA


Classified By: Acting Political Section Internal Unit Chief Susan A. Th
ornton. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) A string of recent media pieces calling for a
stronger watchdog role for Chinese media, including a
daring commentary on the popular Sina.com web portal,
has given journalists a dose of much-needed
encouragement, even as they acknowledge continuing
tight media controls. The first article, published in
the Party-run China Youth Daily, focused on problems
television news magazines are having airing
controversial content, particularly regarding official
corruption and crime. Sina's commentary complained
about heavy censorship and the weakness of Chinese
media's watchdog role. The theme was then picked up
by People's Daily and has been welcomed in
commentaries on the People's Daily Internet news site
and other web forums. While the publication of such
frank criticisms is noteworthy, the theme is one that
the Party has pushed fairly consistently and the
coverage dovetails well with current Party anti-
corruption campaigns. This coincidence may create
some space for investigative news in the short term,
but broadcasting remains China's most tightly
controlled news medium and the system of Party
controls on the media will not allow for a serious
watchdog effect anytime soon. End Summary.

Let the Watchdog Out
--------------


2. (C) The most recent poke at China's censors was
inspired by a May 17 article in the Party-run China
Youth Daily (CYD),which charged that more than half
the telecasts produced by one of CCTV's regular news
magazine programs, News Probe, have never aired.
(Note: Focus and News Probe are investigative news
shows on CCTV-1, the Government's flagship channel.
They are usually about 13 and 45 minutes long
respectively and appear at various times throughout
the week, often in the prime time slot directly
following the nightly national news broadcast.)
Criticism in the CYD article was directed at "morally
bankrupt" local officials who try to cover up
wrongdoing and dissuade media from investigating local

issues. Popular web portal Sina.com ran a commentary
article the following day by Henan-based scholar and
journalist Zhu Sibei, who used the China Youth Daily
piece as a springboard to complain about heavy
censorship and what he termed "the weakness of media's
supervision of government."


3. (C) Without mentioning names or ranks, Zhu argued
that jittery officials fearful of negative revelations
are the main culprits in squelching the unseen shows.
He decried the tendency of such officials to "block
the information network" to protect their interests.
He contended that authorities wrongly believe that
scrutiny of the workings of government will harm
social stability. On the contrary, exposure of
corruption and abuse of power will prompt better
public service, he concluded, adding that public
criticism is "safe, beneficial and indispensable" for
society.

Headlines and Redlines
--------------


4. (C) The People's Daily Online news portal followed
with a pair of articles on May 31 and June 2 that
appeared to acknowledge the legitimacy of calls for an
imprved media watchdog function and less local
inerference. The first piece recounted a visit to
CCTV by Wu Guangzheng, the Politburo Standing
Committee member in charge of discipline inspection.
Wu stressed to CCTV news personnel the importance of
media supervision in the fight against official
corruption. Contacts said they were especially
surprised to see the Government mouthpiece People's
Daily Online treat the issue again two days later in
another opinion piece. The piece characterized media
scrutiny of officialdom as integral to "building a
harmonious society," a favored current Party slogan.


5. (C) Calls for media oversight of Government
conduct are not unusual, said Zhou Qing'an, (protect),
a free lance journalist who writes regularly for the
Beijing News. Accusations of censorship and cover-up

BEIJING 00012885 002 OF 002


by local officials, however, are rarely raised by
staid Party outlets and have raised eyebrows and hopes
among some journalists and reformers. Li Xiaoping, a
producer at CCTV-9, speculated that the People's Daily
online piece so strongly supported the media's
watchdog role because the Central Government relies on
investigative journalism to ratchet up pressure on
local officials to clean up their acts, particularly
on environment and corruption issues.



6. (C) In this context, Zhou described the Zhu Sibei
piece as valuable and important, adding that any
Chinese professional journalist who reads the article
will be heartened by its persuasiveness and how close
it gets to official redlines without crossing them.
After more than a year of tight media controls, such a
daring piece is welcome, he said. Zhou judged that
Zhu would not be criticized by censors in the
Propaganda Department for his commentary. Once a
writer starts discussing specifics, such as names of
officials or particular Government agencies, then he
or she can suffer repercussions. That is not the case
here. "Zhu never even mentions the Propaganda
Department by name, but that is clearly his target,"
Zhou remarked. He added that at the same time, there
is no specific guidance about discussing broad themes,
and the media's watchdog role as a public service is
fair game.

Tribal Interests
--------------


7. (C) At CCTV, Focus and News Probe staff are
discouraged by the constraints they face, said Li. A
former News Probe producer, Li said her friends still
on staff there regularly tell her she is smart for
transferring to the English service, about which
Propaganda officials are less concerned. Li stated
that for the news magazine shows, the goal is to get
on the air as quickly as possible, especially if a
program has controversial content, in order to beat
the censors. Once the journalists start investigating
a story, officials or business people whom the
revelations might harm rally their connections with a
view to pressuring censors to nix the show. Those
without good connections often must appeal straight to
the Propaganda Department. Zhou, the free lance
journalist, said the hotel near the Propaganda
Department office is constantly booked full of people
from the Provinces who want to make sure certain
sensitive stories never see print or airwaves.


8. (C) One of Li's News Probe shows was squelched a
few years ago, she related. She and her staff put
together a special about a cigarette factory in
northeastern China that was so strapped for cash that
it paid its workers partly in packs of cigarettes.
News Probe aired a first segment and then prepared to
go to the plant for a follow-up a few weeks later.
When the production team got to the airport to depart,
however, the head of CCTV news told them to turn
around and come back to the office. Li surmised that
someone with influence had called a Government bigwig
to get the journalists to stand down. In that sense,
the Zhu article is also about what Li called "tribal
interests." That is, local cadres or entrepreneurs
using their relationships with top brass in Beijing to
press for protection from media exposure. "This
happens all the time," Li said.

Comment
--------------


9. (C) While the Government's rhetorical endorsement
of a role for the press in fighting corruption may
create some protection space for some investigative
journalism, the recent commentary and calls for a more
effective watchdog function will likely go only as far
as the Party deems helpful to its cause. Pursue the
wrong story or "go too far" and the rug can easily be
pulled out from under any author or outlet. The one-
year prison sentence for "extortion" recently meted
out to Hunan investigative journalist Yang Xiaoqing
illustrates the risks reporters continue to face as
they investigate official misconduct.
RANDT