The Rover Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 The censoring of dramatic pictures showing the fire that engulfed part of China's state TV headquarters has sparked a furore. As flames consumed the 44-storey block housing recording studios for China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing on Monday, the state broadcaster did not cut away from a gala variety show celebrating the final day of the Chinese New Year holiday. By midnight, with the fire still raging but under control, the station had issued a one-line news item on its website. Chinese have long since grown accustomed to the dreary, carefully-vetted news bulletins broadcast by CCTV, but this glaring ommission has them venting anger online. It is possible that the blackout was prompted by CCTV’s embarrassment at the discovery that its own – unauthorised – show of fireworks outside the building sparked the blaze. One bulletin a few hours after the blaze started showed brief footage, describing heroic efforts by the fire services and identifying the city leaders who had rushed to the scene. By the next morning no images were being used and newsreaders were provided brief reports. The English-language blog blackandwhitecat has a detailed account with links. One joke circulating on China’s heavily-monitored internet is that CCTV created one of the biggest stories of the year – and then failed to cover it. Citizen journalists have more than made up for the blackout, however, filling the void with pictures taken on camera phones, text messages and e-mails. The web police who patrol in Chinese cyberspace have failed to keep pace with the number of postings. One blogger, Wang Xiaofeng, wrote: “Even though the fire was up to their eyebrows, they were still trying to hide the truth... in this breaking news, the official media was defeated by the citizen media." An official directive was sent to the media ordering no photos, video or in-depth reports and requesting they rely only on the version put out by the official Xinhua news agency. Even that notice of censorship was soon posted on the Internet. One of the most popular bloggers in China, the Shanghai-based Han Han, 26, was among the first to post about the fire. His blog – which has about 140,000 page views per day – was subsequently censored. Perhaps this comment in which he refers to the dramatic main building of the new CCTV headquarters – untouched by the fire – by its popular nickname in China may have irked the authorities. “The burnt building has always been called ‘the Thing underneath the Big Underpants’. Now CCTV burned its own ‘thing', such self-castration just perfectly fits the image of CCTV being the world’s number one eunuch media. For sure, the present CCTV does not deserve to have one. “ In chatrooms, gleeful users have digitally edited photos to add giant robots and fire-breathing dragons attacking the broadcaster’s landmark new building, which is due to be completed by the end of this year. Among the more irreverent are to be found at chinasmack.com The popular criticism of CCTV is not new. Twenty-two academics launched an online boycott campaign last month condemning the station's "brainwashing" and failure to report sensitive news such as the contaminated milk scandal that led to the deaths of six children. Another website, called Anti-CCTV, which is dedicated to highlighting the broadcaster’s mistakes, has attracted more than 178,000 visits since April last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 China - Fire Engulfs 40 Story Luxury Hotel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Yeah, they always cover up disasters. They want to 'appear' as the perfect society. Like the time that fair ride went out of control and kids were flying everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 China governs millions of people. Suppressing bad news and limiting any reports of an inflammatory nature discourages rebellion. They have not learned yet how to maintain a healthy freedom-based public discourse. Most public exchanges are controlled to some degree to maintain order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 China governs millions of people. Suppressing bad news and limiting any reports of an inflammatory nature discourages rebellion. They learned that from the Pentagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Action Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 They learned that from the Pentagon Bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 They learned that from the Pentagon China has been authoritarian for many more centuries than the United States has been in existence. If anything, the Pentagon learned it from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Bullshit. Remember weapons of mass destruction or was it weapons of mass deception ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Remember weapons of mass destruction or was it weapons of mass deception ? China had nothing to do with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 You can't beat the food though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 You can't beat the food though. Nothing like Dim Sum in San Francesco,Toronto or Vancouver. God Bless the USA and Canada for their diversity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I have got a horsey Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 In the late 1970's there was a terrible fire in Moscow's Rossiya Hotel which killed about 40 people, I think, and an American journalist asked the deputy editor of the Pravda newspaper why the disaster wasn't mentioned in the paper and he replied "we don't really focus on sensational news stories". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanna be drummer Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Remember weapons of mass destruction or was it weapons of mass deception ? Our media outlets are free to report however they wish. China's on the other hand...not so much. Don't ever compare the Pentagon to The Party, that just makes you look foolish, sorry to tell ya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Our media outlets are free to report however they wish. China's on the other hand...not so much. Don't ever compare the Pentagon to The Party, that just makes you look foolish, sorry to tell ya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanna be drummer Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 What you said was basically like comparing a glass of water to the Atlantic Ocean. The Pentagon cannot be intelligently compared to the CCP anymore than Bush can be compared to Mao... And if you honestly think that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pb Derigable Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 These people on this forum claim what Pres. Obama is doing is not leading towards us to socialism. That can be debated, but with the pending bills like Card Check and the fairness doctrine. Red China may cross the blue see and into the white states. Still, China holds most of our Debt, so could they be that bad. Yes, because they are having too many problems themselves that they won't buy our trillion dollar spending bill debt, so we would have to print the fucking money. Yeah, Hope and Change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 What you said was basically like comparing a glass of water to the Atlantic Ocean. The Pentagon cannot be intelligently compared to the CCP anymore than Bush can be compared to Mao... And if you honestly think that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Still, China holds most of our Debt, so could they be that bad. Yes, because they are having too many problems themselves that they won't buy our trillion dollar spending bill debt, so we would have to print the fucking money. The Chinese will continue to buy US treasuries because it is in their self-interest to do so. It is their way of keeping the USA dollar up so that they can to export into the country. Now if a wave of nationalism were to sweep the country and they were too turn inward then look out as far as the dollar goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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