thoughts on tabloid journalism, continued

vs.

Which would you rather read?

I will keep this short. This morning I gave a very brief presentation on my project so far. Afterwards I came to the realization that I haven't quite been exactly clear when it comes to the "censorship" that America experiences today. I believe that tabloid journalism acts as self-censorship. As an American citizen, I feel that I, along with the millions of other people living in this country, have a duty to remain aware of the world around us, not just Hollywood.

I will continue to update as I find more interesting sources.

-Matt

Earthquake in Sichuan Province, 5.12.08: CCP reaction

After the recent 7.9-magnitude earthquake in central China this month, I decided to pay close attention to the Chinese government's response to this tragedy, considering the Communist Party's reaction to another event that brought the country worldwide attention not too long ago: SARS. I began searching for news articles and columns, looking for a detailed description of how the CCP was currently reacting to the aftermath in Sichuan Province. I found what I was looking for in this article published by The National Post, a Canadian news source.

Peter Goodspeed, the author of the article, notes that

Just two years ago, Chinese officials drew up a draft of a new Emergency Response Law that would have given local governments the right to "manage news media reports" about emergencies. The proposed legislation recommended fines of US $12,000 for unauthorized reports on natural disasters, accidents, public health incidents and public disturbances that could be deemed misleading or harmful to China's harmonious social order.

However, because of the enormous number of casualties, which continues to grow today, and the long road towards recovery that lies ahead, Goodspeed adds:

Chinese officials finally seemed to have recognized that being open and honest could win them public support...that could change abruptly the moment there is a shift in the news that might damage the image of the Communist party. But for now, China is experiencing a brief breath of journalistic freedom.

Some of that "journalistic freedom" Goodspeed is referring to may be the home videos and security camera footage of the earthquake that can be found online. The video above, filmed in a dormintory by a Chinese student at Sichuan University, posted on YouTube.com, was the opening clip for the first report of the earthquake that aired on my local news station here in Chicago. As mentioned in my post on China's response to the Tibetan protests in March, international news is now relying on the internet and new forms of communication for information.

On a final note, I believe there is a connection to the cyclone disaster that struck Myanmar several weeks prior to the earthquake in China; the isolationist junta's response caused an uproar globally. With the Olympics looming and the damage from the earthquake so widespread, China's image clearly lay in the hands of the government in the hours following the quake.

I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Tabloid Journalism: An Alternative Viewpoint

"The idea is to have as many people as possible getting information."
"I am paid to draw a crowd."
-Phil Donahue, denouncing the negative sentiment towards tabloid journalism

Although this Charlie Rose interview is from November of 1994, it is far from outdated. Rose talks with Phil Donahue, a television personality whose tabloid talk show ended in 1996. Donahue is cited as the inspiration for daytime talk shows, ranging from Oprah to The Maury Show.

With the creation of more television programs based on tabloid journalism, like TMZ on TV, is Donahue's defense still valid?

Tibetan protests, March 2008

In light of the recent protests by Buddhist monks in Lhasa, Tibet (BBC news article and Spiegel.de report), a French YouTube user recently posted a clip from CNN featuring international journalist Ralitsa Vassileva explaining to viewers the censorship that the Chinese government imposes when a controversial topic like Tibet emerges in the media.



Vassileva mentions the new forms of communication used by international journalists: anonymous dissidents, blogs and websites on the internet, et cetera. While not directly mentioned in the video, it is known that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is slowly losing its supposed totalitarian control over its people as the country is introduced to the age of instant communication. Such circumstances must be taken into account as protests against the treatment of Tibet, among other human rights abuses, gain momentum and widespread attention. It is once again pertinent to consider China's actions with the 2008 Summer Olympics in mind: China had actually granted foreign media certain rights as part of their deal with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), but with the international news media still criticizing the government's actions, that "progress" appears to be questionable.

With the international news media blatantly criticizing the Chinese government, what will the CCP do to ensure that their public image is not tarnished any further?

an update on my research

Before continuing I wish to provide an update on the progress in my work.


In order to fully understand the choices China must make in the near future, one must understand how media censorship under the Communist Party works. In an online report from the non-governmental organization Freedom House, Ashley Esarey, a leading political analyst of China’s modernization, examines the current state of China’s media with the assistance of a report published in 2004 by Human Rights in China, another activist NGO. Esarey explains how the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) wields control over news reporting, describing in detail both the structures and procedures of propaganda and the self-censorship that becomes prevalent among all journalists as fear of persecution spreads. More importantly, Esarey adds that China’s movement towards globalization makes availability of information much easier: privatization, consumerism, and access to internet news sources all challenge the CCP dogma.

Anup Shah, an independent researcher involved with several online organizations, including the Institute for Economic Democracy, writes about the media in a post-9/11 United States using his educational experiences in both America and his home country of England. Acknowledging the dangers of an uninformed and oblivious public in an era of globalization, Shah asserts that attention to the news may not even be beneficial today, citing The New York Times’ 2005 investigation into government propagandistic and ersatz news stories. He mentions that both corporate and political powers have caused self-censorship as well, drawing connections to the current situation in China mentioned by Ashley Esarey cited above. Using recent studies on the economics of news media and both the Chomsky-Herman Propaganda Model and the monopoly techniques explained by political scientist Michael Parenti, Shah argues that the focus on advertising, money, and power negates honest and important public education, resulting only in propaganda.

Both links will be posted in the right column of my blog for easy access in the future.

"The Blog of War"

How does the U.S. military react to soldiers' blogs on the internet? Recently the Department of Defense started monitoring "warbloggers", servicemen and women who actively post pictures, stories, and videos from the front lines of America's War on Terror.

Two years ago, in 2006, Matthew Currier Burden, a former major in the US Army, published a collection of military blogs in his book, The Blog of War. I came across the book in my research, which I've started reading recently. It definitely raises the question of how this information affects national security and our nation's military strategy overseas--is this too much? Is it worth risking the lives of Americans to know every aspect of the War on Terror? If you're interested you can read more on Burden's website, www.blackfive.net, one of many military blogs online today.

Additionally, the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) sued the Department of Defense in January of the following year (for a PDF copy of the actual lawsuit, click here), citing that the public had a right to know how the military had been investigating websites and blogs for possible classified information posted by servicemen and women, information protected by the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act). The information was eventually released and were posted on the EFF's website.

What I also find quite interesting is the lack of coverage in American news sources. I found a lot about the EFF lawsuit from British news sources, like The Guardian, a UK-based technology news and opinion website (click here for an editorial written by a columnist). However, searches for American news stories on this lawsuit come up scant--was the DOD involved? How many stories have not been covered by our media networks for reasons of national security?

Modern American Journalism: A Cartoonist's Viewpoint

This 2006 political cartoon by David Horsey (found on the Facts.com/Issues and Controversies database online) confirms my thesis. The image speaks for itself. How much do we hear about Britney Spears (with her increasing health and familial problems) compared to news from Iraq? It is frighteningly unbalanced. Even with attention given to the 2008 election as American picks its next president (and politicians and pundits alike bring up the War in Iraq, among other hot topics related to America's future), little will change when it comes to the country's fixation with tabloid journalism. Has it become a permanent replacement for news?

Amnesty International and Beijing 2008

This weekend I came across some interesting articles in my search for more information about China and the 2008 Olympics:

BBC article
Sports Illustrated/CNN Article

AI (Amnesty International) has threatened to boycott the games, citing that the country has supressed its people in the name of creating stability for next summer. It will be interesting to see how this develops. China needs the Olympics to affirm its current status in the world, and although a large, full-blown boycott of the games next summer seems highly unlikely, they cannot afford bad press.



Additionally, I've included the links to the Amnesty International press releases:
AI America: Amnesty International Charges China's Human Rights Abuses Risk Blighting Olympics Legacy
AI UK: Human Rights for China: The Olympics Countdown

There is also an interesting blog here on Blogspot (graphic images) fervently dedicated to preventing China from having the Summer Games in 2008.

I will be following this topic as the Olympic torch makes its way to Beijing in August.

Lions for Lambs

Last Friday, I went to see a late showing of Lions for Lambs, the new Robert Redford movie about the current war on terrorism. I went into the theater excited to see the film, but I was somewhat disappointed, even though the movie was definitely better than the current selection available at our neighborhood theater (Christmas movies in early November). I was, perhaps, looking for something more controversial and thought-provoking. However, these feelings are slightly unjust: the war and conflict overseas isn’t a black and white issue, and because of all the differing opinions, the only clear fact is that the war affects us all, more than some Americans would like to admit.

The most interesting aspect of the film (even though it becomes irritating) is that it takes place in three locations—an idyllic West-Coast university in California, a rising senator’s office in D.C., and the front lines of fighting in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan—with the events unfolding simultaneously in real-time. A good concept, but the delivery was off-putting, and felt a little tacky (even with the heavyweight cast).

I write about this today because the movie, even with its flaws, touches upon a critical part of what I’m doing: the role of the media in the current war on terror. Meryl Streep’s journalist character scores an important interview with a popular Republican senator, who informs her of his latest military plans for Afghanistan. Fearful of her own motives and reporting, especially within the past six years, she starts question herself. What happens next with her character isn’t surprising, but the film’s conclusion ought to be remembered anyways: there is much more to the news we hear and read about, always.

beginnings

With the advent of new technology and a new era of globalization, news spreads much more quickly than it did before. However, even in light of this, freedom of speech and the press may not be as widespread as people believe.

As the People’s Republic of China emerges as a key player in 21st century interactions, it must come to terms with its controversial government’s control over the news and media, in addition to other human rights and social issues that continue to haunt the country as it enters the global spotlight. Chinese media reform is occurring, perhaps under pressure from others. However, the true extent of liberalization remains unclear. With China appearing in the news more frequently, especially with the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing, how will its government leaders respond?

It is equally important to investigate censorship in America, a democracy that prides itself on its freedom of speech and press. Yet because of current censorship today, mostly involving the fight against terrorism overseas, the American press, one can argue, has shifted its focus to more frivolous, gossip-oriented news. It is an extreme viewpoint, but conceivable. As the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq continue, it becomes important to reexamine the role of the media: do Americans get all the information they need, enough for their future generations to continue the country’s role as a world power?

The cultural implications of these differences—one trying to fit in with the crowd, the other shifting focuses—may play a significant part in determining future roles in global relations. It is important to question the role censorship plays in our everyday lives:

• How much of America's news is censored, and has celebrity news been replacing newsworthy stories? How does news from the front lines of the war against terrorism reach our television sets and newspapers at home?
• What role does the American government play in the news media?
• What does corporate ownership of news sources mean for America?
  
• How is China responding to controversial news topics, especially considering recent coverage of SARS, Avian Bird flu, and lead paint in toys?
• Is China under pressure to lessen the amount of censorship it imposes on its people?

beginnings

With the advent of new technology and a new era of globalization, news spreads much more quickly than it did before. However, even in light of this, freedom of speech and the press may not be as widespread as people believe.

As the People’s Republic of China emerges as a key player in 21st century interactions, it must come to terms with its controversial government’s control over the news and media, in addition to other human rights and social issues that continue to haunt the country as it enters the global spotlight. Chinese media reform is occurring, perhaps under pressure from others. However, the true extent of liberalization remains unclear. With China appearing in the news more frequently, especially with the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing, how will its government leaders respond?

It is equally important to investigate censorship in America, a democracy that prides itself on its freedom of speech and press. Yet because of current censorship today, mostly involving the fight against terrorism overseas, the American press, one can argue, has shifted its focus to more frivolous, gossip-oriented news. It is an extreme viewpoint, but conceivable. As the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq continue, it becomes important to reexamine the role of the media: do Americans get all the information they need, enough for their future generations to continue the country’s role as a world power?

The cultural implications of these differences—one trying to fit in with the crowd, the other shifting focuses—may play a significant part in determining future roles in global relations. It is important to question the role censorship plays in our everyday lives:

• How much of America's news is censored, and has celebrity news been replacing newsworthy stories? How does news from the front lines of the war against terrorism reach our television sets and newspapers at home?
• What role does the American government play in the news media?
• What does corporate ownership of news sources mean for America?
• How is China responding to controversial news topics, especially considering recent coverage of SARS, Avian Bird flu, and lead paint in toys?
• Is China under pressure to lessen the amount of censorship it imposes on its people?