Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom - World Press ...

Beijing Olympics 2008: Winning Press Freedom
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Recently, even some events we routinely covered in the past became problematic. For
instance, for many years, we could send a reporter to cover the Chinese parliament
sessions in March, but in 2007, our visa application was rejected. The reason given to us
was that there was no quota for us. Hundreds of journalists from all over the world cover
the event, but there is no place for one journalist from BBC Chinese Service! Later in
2007, our visa application to cover the 17th Party Congress was also denied. No reason
was given. Two such rejections in one year sets a record in our dealing with the Chinese
authorities, and is quite baffling, given that the government promised more access to
foreign journalists in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
Concern with China’s image
But China can use foreign media when it suits its purpose. In the 1990s, following the
Tiananmen crackdown, China was isolated internationally and concentrated on economic
development, which saw rapid, double digit growth. The so-called “China threat” theory
gained much currency at that time, which in turn aggravated China. Nationalism soared
and books such as “China Can Say No,” and “Behind the Demonization of China” were
very popular amongst Chinese leaders and intellectuals. The country was clearly troubled
by what it perceived as hostility in the Western media but had no effective way of dealing
with this except through old-fashioned slogans and editorials in the official newspapers.
As Beijing was awarded the right to host the Olympic Games in 2001 and finally joined the
World Trade Organization, it realized that the world’s attention would be focused on China
more and more, and it would do the country a lot of good if it is seen to make efforts to
improve its human rights record, relax media controls and gradually move towards
international standards.
China's bid to project a more positive image has a dual purpose - one is to show to the
world that China is making progress in many areas and that its ambitions are peaceful; the
other is to tell the Chinese people that the West is accepting China as an emerging power
and a force for good, thus boosting its standing among the Chinese people.
In March 2005, the BBC had a week-long broadcasting event called China Week, in which
it was given unprecedented access, and even managed to stage its flagship program,
Question Tim,e from Shanghai. For a whole week, there was coverage about China on
BBC radio, TV and online, which was an eye-opener to a lot of British people. Many in the
British media hailed this as a breakthrough.
China certainly capitalized on this. Headlines in the official media read: “Finally BBC
realized the importance of China and came to China,” or “BBC broadcasts Question Time
from Shanghai, we have nothing to hide.” But the reports are quite selective about what
actually went on during the debate, and only positive comments were quoted.
Of course, all these BBC programs were in English. Apart from the invited audience
present at the Question Time debate, when the country's human rights record was
discussed, Chinese people had no way of watching or hearing it.
So, by allowing the BBC to come to China, British people had a good glimpse of the
enormous changes that have taken place, while the government was seen to be openminded
in its dealing with foreign media.