http://news.linktv.org Link TV News Videos (Filtered by topics: Chinese Media) en-us Fri, 31 May 2013 18:56:00 -0700 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-stunned-at-sewer-baby-rescue-shocker?start=0 Rescue workers in China saved a newborn baby boy who had been flushed down the toilet last weekend. Authorities located the 22 year-old mother, who claimed she gave birth unexpectedly. South Korean broadcaster MBC has more on how the shocking incident has China in an uproar. Fri, 31 May 2013 18:56:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-stunned-at-sewer-baby-rescue-shocker Rescue, Infant, Toilet, Childbirth, Hospital, Chinese Media, China, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, LinkAsia Rescue workers in China saved a newborn baby boy who had been flushed down the toilet last weekend. Authorities located the 22 year-old mother, who claimed she gave birth unexpectedly. South Korean broadcaster MBC has more on how the shocking incident has China in an uproar. http://news.linktv.org/videos/china-earthquake-netizens-bypass-state-to-aid-recovery?start=0 Chinese citizens have been intensely following rescue and recovery efforts in China's Sichuan Province, after the region suffered its second major earthquake since 2008. China's CCTV presents the latest updates on the damage, while LinkAsia's Jing Gao discusses the dramatic impact netizens have made using social media to aid in rescue operations. Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:43:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/china-earthquake-netizens-bypass-state-to-aid-recovery Sichuan, Sina Weibo, Netizen, Earthquake, Red Cross Society China, 2008 Sichuan earthquake, State media, Chinese Media, Rescue, Search and rescue Chinese citizens have been intensely following rescue and recovery efforts in China's Sichuan Province, after the region suffered its second major earthquake since 2008. China's CCTV presents the latest updates on the damage, while LinkAsia's Jing Gao discusses the dramatic impact netizens have made using social media to aid in rescue operations. http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-social-media-overrun-with-shock-grief-for-boston?start=0 Chinese bloggers flooded Sina Weibo with expressions of sympathy and grief after news broke about the Boston bombing, and that one of the casualties was a Chinese grad student. Many took the opportunity to mourn, while other bloggers couldn't help but admire and critique how the US handled the situation. Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:41:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-social-media-overrun-with-shock-grief-for-boston Sina Weibo, 2013 Boston Marathon explosions, Social media, Boston Marathon, Boston, Chinese Media, Media of the United States, Blog, China, LinkAsia Chinese bloggers flooded Sina Weibo with expressions of sympathy and grief after news broke about the Boston bombing, and that one of the casualties was a Chinese grad student. Many took the opportunity to mourn, while other bloggers couldn't help but admire and critique how the US handled the situation. http://news.linktv.org/videos/the-death-of-a-censor-chinas-journalists-mourn-a-foe?start=0 China's journalists are mourning the man who censored one of China's most outspoken newspapers. Zeng Li, the government censor for Guangzhou's Southern Weekly paper, became an advocate for freedom of the press this past year as he witnessed censorship worsening. Contributor David Bandurski reports on the reactions by China's independent press. Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:44:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/the-death-of-a-censor-chinas-journalists-mourn-a-foe Southern Weekly, Censorship, Chinese Media, Sina Weibo, Freedom of the press, Guangzhou, China, Journalism, David Bandurski, LinkAsia China's journalists are mourning the man who censored one of China's most outspoken newspapers. Zeng Li, the government censor for Guangzhou's Southern Weekly paper, became an advocate for freedom of the press this past year as he witnessed censorship worsening. Contributor David Bandurski reports on the reactions by China's independent press. http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinas-state-tv-takes-heat-for-social-media-tactics?start=0 China's state-run CCTV leveled serious charges against Apple this week, claiming that its customer service representatives discriminate against Chinese. But as LinkAsia's David Bandurski reports, CCTV itself is under fire for allegedly using an artificial social media campaign to pump up ratings for the investigation. Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:51:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinas-state-tv-takes-heat-for-social-media-tactics Social media, Sina Weibo, Chinese Media, CCTV News, Apple Inc., Customer service, State media, David Bandurski, LinkAsia China's state-run CCTV leveled serious charges against Apple this week, claiming that its customer service representatives discriminate against Chinese. But as LinkAsia's David Bandurski reports, CCTV itself is under fire for allegedly using an artificial social media campaign to pump up ratings for the investigation. http://news.linktv.org/videos/newspaper-censorship-protests-challenge-chinas-new-leaders?start=0 Journalists at a leading Chinese newspaper have gone on strike in a dispute over press freedom. The Southern Weekly is known for its investigative journalism. But last week an editorial that called for political reform was changed by a censor so that it praised the ruling party. Al Jazeera's Dominic Kane reports. Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:49:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/newspaper-censorship-protests-challenge-chinas-new-leaders Southern Weekly, Freedom of the press, China, Chinese Media, Guangzhou, Censorship, Investigative journalism, Strike, Protest, Communist Party of China Journalists at a leading Chinese newspaper have gone on strike in a dispute over press freedom. The Southern Weekly is known for its investigative journalism. But last week an editorial which called for political reform was changed by a censor so that it praised the ruling party. Al Jazeera's Dominic Kane reports. http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-blogs-fuel-frantic-prep-for-mayan-doomsday?start=0 Droves of people in China's Sichuan province are buying up every available candle after rumors went viral across microblog website Sina Weibo that the Earth will soon be cast in three days of darkness. The fears are based on the Mayan calendar, which points to December 21 as a day of cataclysmic change. Sat, 08 Dec 2012 15:16:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-blogs-fuel-frantic-prep-for-mayan-doomsday Sichuan, Maya peoples, Internet in the People's Republic of China, Sina Weibo, Apocalypse, Chinese Media, NTDTV Droves of people in China's Sichuan province are buying up every available candle after rumors went viral across microblog website Sina Weibo that the Earth will soon be cast in three days of darkness. The fears are based on the Mayan calendar, which points to December 21 as a day of cataclysmic change. http://news.linktv.org/videos/kim-jong-un-named-worlds-sexiest-man-not-quite?start=0 The Chinese Communist Party has been making headlines today -- by sticking its foot squarely in its official mouthpiece. <em>The People's Daily</em> newspaper was quick to assume a news report about the leader of fellow Communist ally North Korea was completely true. But, the article was in fact written by satirical American news service <em>The Onion</em>. It named North Korea's Kim Jong-un as its "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2012, and <em>The People's Daily</em> celebrated with a stirring photo tribute. It showed Kim at various state events, including one carefully staged shot of him on horseback. Any hope that the article was self-aware ends there. But it's okay, the <em>Korea Times</em> made the same mistake about a week ago. <em>The Onion</em> has now updated its original story, linking to <em>The People's Daily</em> article and calling the Communist mouthpiece "a proud Communist subsidiary of The Onion, Inc." <br /> Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:54:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/kim-jong-un-named-worlds-sexiest-man-not-quite Kim Jong-un, The Onion, People's Daily, Satire, Chinese Media, North Korea, The Korea Times, Communist Party of China, Newspaper, Media The Chinese Communist Party has been making headlines today -- by sticking its foot squarely in its official mouthpiece. The People's Daily newspaper was quick to assume a news report about the leader of fellow Communist ally North Korea was completely true. But, the article was in fact written by satirical American news service The Onion. It named North Korea's Kim Jong-un as its "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2012, and The People's Daily celebrated with a stirring photo tribute. It showed Kim at various state events, including one carefully staged shot of him on horseback. Any hope that the article was self-aware ends there. But it's okay, the Korea Times made the same mistake about a week ago. The Onion has now updated its original story, linking to The People's Daily article and calling the Communist mouthpiece "a proud Communist subsidiary of The Onion, Inc." http://news.linktv.org/videos/how-china-does-investigative-journalism?start=0 While the Communist Party maintains a tight grip on the press in most areas, media production in China has exploded over the past three decades. With that has come new competition for readers, viewers, revenues - and the rise of a new kind of investigative reporting. Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:35:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/how-china-does-investigative-journalism Reporters Without Borders, Freedom of the press, Chinese Media, Investigative journalism, Communist Party of China, Melissa Chan, 2008 Sichuan earthquake, CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency, Al Jazeera English The Paris-based press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders, ranks China as the sixth most repressive media environment in the world. Chinese reporters and the outlets they work for are routinely written off as mere government mouthpieces. While the Communist Party does maintain a tight grip in most areas, media production in China has exploded over the past three decades. With that has come new competition for readers, viewers, revenues - and the rise of a new kind of investigative reporting. http://news.linktv.org/videos/gu-kailai-trial-the-atmosphere-has-been-very-very-bizarre?start=0 The trial of Gui Kailai, wife of Chinese politician Bo Xilai, may have lasted just one day, but Chinese authorities nevertheless mounted a massive security operation, deploying hundreds of police and blocking online searches for the names of those involved. Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:44:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/gu-kailai-trial-the-atmosphere-has-been-very-very-bizarre Gu Kailai, Bo Xilai, Neil Heywood, Hefei, Intermediate people's court, China, Communist Party of China, Trial, Police, Security guard The trial of Gui Kailai, wife of Chinese politician Bo Xilai, may have lasted just one day, but Chinese authorities nevertheless mounted a massive security operation for the hearing. Hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothed police and security guards were deployed around the Hefei Intermediate People's Court, and foreign press were barred from entering the building. Media coverage within China has also been restricted, with authorities blocking any online searches for the names of those involved. http://news.linktv.org/videos/from-mao-to-bo-reformers-justify-bo-xilai-purge?start=0 Reformers in the Chinese government are using the memory of Cultural Revolution violence to justify ousting Bo Xilai. LinkAsia contributor David Bandurski reports on how the more that China changes, the more the politics stay the same. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:59:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/from-mao-to-bo-reformers-justify-bo-xilai-purge Bo Xilai, Politics of the People's Republic of China, Communist Party of China, Government of the People's Republic of China, Defection, Wang Lijun, Gu Kailai, Chief of police, Cultural Revolution, Xinhua News Agency Reformers in the Chinese government are using the memory of Cultural Revolution violence to justify ousting Bo Xilai. Contributor David Bandurski reports on how the more that China changes, the more the politics stay the same. http://news.linktv.org/videos/outrage-as-chinese-tv-cuts-back-on-entertainment?start=0 China is restricting the amount of entertainment television that can air each week. LinkAsia contributor Charlie Custer reports that Chinese netizens are not amused. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:12:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/outrage-as-chinese-tv-cuts-back-on-entertainment China, State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, China Central Television, Chinese Media, Sina Weibo, Television, Super Girl, Government of the People's Republic of China, Microblogging, Charlie Custer China is restricting the amount of entertainment television that can air each week. LinkAsia contributor Charlie Custer reports that Chinese netizens are not amused. ---- Microbloging is explosively popular in China, but it is still nothing compared to the popularity of entertainment programs like reality shows and talent competitions that are broadcasted nationwide via satellite television to even China’s most rural areas. Now, it appears the Chinese government may be cracking down on both microblogging and entertainment television. The central committe also seems anxious to clamp down on microblogs. According to the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the party, the government needs to strengthen guidance and better regulate sites llike Weibo, but the paper did not say what exact measures would be taken. I spoke to Jeremy Goldkorn, an expert on China’s Internet, about the possible implications. Jeremy Goldkorn: Well, I think they will...there may be increased regulation. There has been talk about a particular permit that will be needed for microblogging service and this would fit in with the government behavior in the past, for example, online video. When it first started, that’s YouTube-like sites, like Youku or Tudou, there was no special permit for online video. But as the services became popular, a new regulation was introduced requiring online video providers to have a special permit. And not all of them got the permit. This may well happen with microblogs. On the other hand, I don’t know if the government even needs to do that because there are only two real players in microblog in the microblog scene in China. The main one is Sina Weibo, the other one is Tencent, although it is difficult to judge the true popularity of the service because they have basically given microblogs to users of their other services, and it is certainly not as lively as Sina. Sina is the microblog service where the real discussion is going on. So I don’t know if it is even necessary for the government to introduce a new permit. There are certainly without doubt squeezing Sina and making it very clear that they have to control the discussion on Weibo if they want to continue running their business happily. So it is possible there won’t be any new regulation, but there will be just constant squeeze from the propaganda department, and from MIT, the Internet regulator, and possibly from GAPP, the body that regulates news. Charlie Custer: But it was the specific directives about entertainment programs on satellite television cutting their number and mandating the broadcasting of two hours of state-approved news each night that really got China’s social media going. “They are not just limiting entertainment, what they are limiting is a citizen’s right to choice.” One user wrote. “Why is it the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television can’t stand seeing people happy, do they have some grudge against the masses? We people are tortured enough by work, few vacations, the healthcare system and education, now we can’t even go home and relax by watching some entertaining TV?” Another wrote: ”Limiting entertainment, limiting freedom, limiting discussion, what is this, the cultural revolution?” Jeremy Goldkorn: I think there are two aspects to this. I think on the one hand, it is part of a push to instill so-called “socialist values” in the country that seems to be going on at the moment, which essentially is a push to make people more loyal to the Communist Party. I think it is also connected with a genuine concern that society is losing its way morally, and I think there is some genuine concern, not that it is all completely cynical attempt to legitimize the Communist Party. But I think there is another factor too, which is that China Central Television, which is so closely connected with staff that it can be difficult to tell the two apart sometimes, is worried about losing viewers, because the provincial stations have proved better at producing entertaining television, and I think that this is certainly a factor in this new regulation as a desire to make the provincial stations a little less entertaining so that people are more likely to stick with CCTV. Charlie Custer: And as many Weibo commenters have pointed out, the crackdown on entertainment may do little more than force more and more people online, where they can already view entertainment programs on demand. If the government really wants to crack down on excessive entertainment, it may need to restrict the usage of online video sites. In Beijing, I’m Charlie Custer for LinkTV. http://news.linktv.org/videos/press-controls-tighten-over-beijing-newspapers?start=0 Last week, Beijing's propaganda department took control of two of China's boldest and most popular newspapers: the Beijing News and Beijing Times. How will their coverage be affected? Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:50:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/press-controls-tighten-over-beijing-newspapers China, Beijing News, Beijing Times, Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China, Beijing, Newspaper, Investigative journalism, Chinese Media, Sina Weibo, Train crash Last week, Beijing's propaganda department took control of two of China's boldest and most popular newspapers: the Beijing News and Beijing Times. How will their coverage be affected? LinkAsia contributor Charlie Custer tells us what netizens are predicting. ---- Last week, two of China's boldest newspapers were taken over by the Beijing Propaganda Department. The Beijing Times and Beijing News are known for their gutsy, critical content and investigative reporting. According to our contributor in Beijing, Charlie Custer, netizens are now worried that Beijing's sharpest newspapers, may be losing their teeth. Last week, rumors began to spread on Sina Weibo that the Beijing News and the Beijing Times were to be transferred to the control of the Beijing Municipal Propaganda Department. As part of its new rumor-busting drive, Sina blocked searches for the two newspapers and deleted tweets spreading the news. But these "rumors" turned out to be true, and the story was soon confirmed by media professionals and others. There's speculation that the move was the result of critical coverage of July's deadly high-speed train wreck in Wenzhou, which drew unprecedented harsh criticism, some even from some of China's state media outlets. The Beijing propaganda department has said the move is designed to make the papers "more influential", whatever that means.The transfer of power will occur over the next month and the new bosses have said they won't change editorial policy, but people are already concerned that the Beijing News and the Beijing Times may never be the same. One Weibo user wonders: "will this mean the disappearance of another newspaper that dared to speak out?" The propaganda department can now directly issue propaganda orders; without a doubt this will reduce their coverage of negative news in the city; additionally, their reporting of negative issues outside the city will fall under strict regulations for ‘outside reporting'. Two papers that dared to speak have been thoroughly fixed, and now their reporting can only trend towards being conservative and positive. But Sina isn't just deleting rumors. One user posted a comment offering predictions about the change: "This is just the beginning of a tightening of media supervision," he wrote. "The advertisements in these papers will decline as their content declines. Good reporters will leave, some will move to the Internet. The more things like this happen, the more high-level users are going to trust in the Internet public opinion." But the day after we found this comment, it disappeared, apparently deleted by Sina's censors. Readers of both the Beijing News and the Beijing Times are waiting to see how the papers will change under their new leaders. Many in China's social media are expecting any changes will not be for the good. In Beijing, I'm Charlie Custer for LinkAsia. http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-social-media-a-web-of-truth-and-lies?start=0 In China, social media networks play a key role in disseminating vital information, but also in spreading false rumors. LinkAsia contributor David Bandurski looks at how China's state-controlled media outlets are seizing the opportunity to discredit news found on social media. Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:32:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-social-media-a-web-of-truth-and-lies Social network service, China, Chinese Media, Social media, Sina Weibo, Internet, Censorship, Rumor, State media, LinkAsia In China, social media networks play a key role in disseminating vital information, but also in spreading false rumors. David Bandurski looks at how China's state-controlled media outlets are seizing the opportunity to discredit news found on social media. --- once said: ”There are a terrible lot of lies in the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.” In China, the same can be said of rumors, which are everywhere in the age of the Internet. But why are rumors so welcomed in China and what’s the best way of ensuring that the truth prevails? The debate over rumor and truth heated up in China last week when a program on the official China Central Television asked: where is the ethical bottom line on microblogs? It was labeled: “Investigation Into Fabrication On Social Media”. A lot of discussion in official Chinese media focused on this guy, Dou Hanzhang, one of the founders of the group called “Anti-Rumor League”, which uses its own microblog to target rumors appearing on social media. The group, which says its goal is serving the truth, was praised by state media which describe social media as “morally bankrupted”. They give the example of this post, which falsely claimed in July to be from a mother who had lost her child in the train collision in Wenzhou. The anti-rumor league exposed the photos as fakes, taking from the web. But as the state media heaped on the criticism, many web users turned on the rumor busters. They pointed out that while they expose popular rumors, they turned a blind eye to the lies and misinformation dished out by the government. The words were harsh. “You’re all government lackeys.” From this social media user. Another said: “ Damn you, anti-rumor league. You speak for the bandits of Communist Party and put the blame on the heads of people.” This television commentator in Zhejiang province decried the way state media were talking about the importance of truth, while the journalists were being systematically obstructed by local government leaders. “Don’t blame the fact that there are too many rumors on microblogs, blame the fact that there is not enough truth,” he said. But a cooler analysis came from Hu Yong, one of China’s top media experts, who said the government press controls had broken public trust in newspapers and other traditional media. In a piece on Economic Observer Newspaper, he wrote: “People are more inclined to believe rumors of uncertain origin than they are to believe official news reports.” Hu went on to conclude: ”This creates a situation in which news looks like rumor, and rumor looks like news.” The truth of Hu’s remarks was shown plainly last weekend as tens of thousands took it to the streets in the northeastern city of Dalian. They protested a chemical project which, they thought, posed a public health threat. The news was reported nowhere in Chinese media, complete silence, but these telling images were shared on social media. They were deleted constantly, but constantly re-posted by other users. The rumors were largely true and they were the only news available. In an unhappy coincidence as the state media were not reporting the protests, they were reporting this, about a new tax code from the State Administration of Taxation, China’s equivalent of the IRS. The official Xinhua news agency even sent out a official news story on so called “Document 47”, but there was a problem: tax authorities announced on August 15th that the tax code the state media were reporting on was a fake. It’s not yet clear who’s responsible for this fake document, but there are further questions: how did this fiasco happen, who’s responsible, and clearly, as state media faces a crisis of credibility, the rumor ???!!! at internet continues to have a appeal in China. http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-media-push-boundaries-in-train-crash-coverage?start=0 The Chinese media have been bolder than usual in their coverage of the Wenzhou high-speed train crash, despite official censorship and the risks of speaking out against the government. Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:38:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/chinese-media-push-boundaries-in-train-crash-coverage Train crash, Chinese Media, Wenzhou, China, High-speed rail, Rail disaster, David Bandurski, China Media Project, LinkAsia The Chinese media have been bolder than usual in their coverage of the Wenzhou high-speed train crash, despite official censorship and the risks of speaking out against the government. LinkAsia contributor David Bandurski has more.