Call me a cynic...
- By Cam MacMurchy
- Published November 28, 2008
Cam MacMurchy
Cam launched Zhongnanhai from a bar stool in Shanghai in May, 2007. He has worked extensively in the journalism, new media, and public relations fields in both his native Canada and China. He currently hosts BizTraveler on Tianjin Television and has launched his own PR and media company, Performance International, with CCTV news anchor and long-time friend James Aitken. He is a regular guest on international radio and television discussing Chinese current affairs, and his articles have appeared in the Washington Times, International Herald Tribune, Canada’s National Post, and Victoria Times Colonist. More info on Cam can be found here.
E-Mail: cam@zhongnanhaiblog.com
I'm back in China (the "mainland") this weekend, and did a long read of the South China Morning Post on the train from Tsim Sha Tsui to Lo Wu. I couldn't help but notice a couple of things that jumped out at me as potential blog posts. Then I realized, when taken as a whole, it really does confirm my suspicion that I'm a huge cynic.
The first was called "TV to air patriotic ads" (all articles mentioned here are behind the SCMP's paywall). It proceeds as follows:
A series of civic education adverts featuring astronaut Zhai Zhigang waving the national flag in space will be broadcast on local television starting from Monday.
The 12 minute-long videos, titled Accomplishments of our country, will be shown on four Chinese-language television channels before news programmes, replacing Our country, our glory.
The committee, together with RTHK, will launch other videos presenting facts on Chinese history and culture next year and might consider an English-language campaign.
The Accomplishments feature will also apparently contain moving images of the Sichuan earthquake and China's dominance at the winter Olympics.
After working in state-run media for many years, I was quite happy to come to Hong Kong where patriotism and the greatness of China wasn't on the television daily. As Hugh J has pointed out previously, the media machine is sparing no effort to remind viewers of China's golden Olympic moments.
I don't object to this per se... China does have a number of great accomplishments, especially in the last 30 years of reform and opening. What I object to is the state blitzing us with this material for their own benefit, and using public airwaves (taxpayer funded) to do so. I sincerely hope RTHK is charging to run these advertisements. It would be a sad day to see Hong Kong's relatively free media go down the path of CCTV.
My flight leaves Shenzhen Baoan Airport shortly, so I only have time to mention one other article. It's called "Maiden flight of first homemade passenger jet hailed a success". Yes, China is now building passenger aircraft. In light of corruption, product quality, shoddy construction, and other pressing issues which have come to light in other industries, does this worry anyone?
It appears China itself wasn't so confident about this test flight of the ARJ21:
The ARJ21, which stands for "advanced regional jet for the 21st century", took off in great secrecy from Shanghai shortly after midday. The hour-long test flight was revealed by state media only after the plane had landed.
Nice. You can count me among the millions that might have a few apprehensions about getting aboard one of these flights. Perhaps that sounds unfair, and chances are this plane is as safe as any other. But that's the price one pays for a reputation of incompetence.
As a cute reminder of China's corruption issues, the adjacent page outlines the charges against the Shenzhen police officer accused of accepting bribes to keep a dangerous nightclub open that ended up killing dozens of people when a fire broke out.
On that note, I'm off to catch my flight!
The first was called "TV to air patriotic ads" (all articles mentioned here are behind the SCMP's paywall). It proceeds as follows:
A series of civic education adverts featuring astronaut Zhai Zhigang waving the national flag in space will be broadcast on local television starting from Monday.
The 12 minute-long videos, titled Accomplishments of our country, will be shown on four Chinese-language television channels before news programmes, replacing Our country, our glory.
The committee, together with RTHK, will launch other videos presenting facts on Chinese history and culture next year and might consider an English-language campaign.
The Accomplishments feature will also apparently contain moving images of the Sichuan earthquake and China's dominance at the winter Olympics.
After working in state-run media for many years, I was quite happy to come to Hong Kong where patriotism and the greatness of China wasn't on the television daily. As Hugh J has pointed out previously, the media machine is sparing no effort to remind viewers of China's golden Olympic moments.
I don't object to this per se... China does have a number of great accomplishments, especially in the last 30 years of reform and opening. What I object to is the state blitzing us with this material for their own benefit, and using public airwaves (taxpayer funded) to do so. I sincerely hope RTHK is charging to run these advertisements. It would be a sad day to see Hong Kong's relatively free media go down the path of CCTV.
My flight leaves Shenzhen Baoan Airport shortly, so I only have time to mention one other article. It's called "Maiden flight of first homemade passenger jet hailed a success". Yes, China is now building passenger aircraft. In light of corruption, product quality, shoddy construction, and other pressing issues which have come to light in other industries, does this worry anyone?
It appears China itself wasn't so confident about this test flight of the ARJ21:
The ARJ21, which stands for "advanced regional jet for the 21st century", took off in great secrecy from Shanghai shortly after midday. The hour-long test flight was revealed by state media only after the plane had landed.
Nice. You can count me among the millions that might have a few apprehensions about getting aboard one of these flights. Perhaps that sounds unfair, and chances are this plane is as safe as any other. But that's the price one pays for a reputation of incompetence.
As a cute reminder of China's corruption issues, the adjacent page outlines the charges against the Shenzhen police officer accused of accepting bribes to keep a dangerous nightclub open that ended up killing dozens of people when a fire broke out.
On that note, I'm off to catch my flight!
1 Response to "Call me a cynic..." 
|
said this on 14 Mar 2009 5:33:31 AM PDT
Hello. Lack of money is no obstacle. Lack of an idea is an obstacle.
I am from Croatia and learning to read in English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "To find the best discount airline deals, search and compare airlines on our website, air." With best wishes 8), Lamont. |
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