The Chinese media
Wednesday 18 June 2008 21:45-22:30 (Radio 3)
As part of Radio 3's Focus on China, Isabel Hilton reports from Beijing talking to journalists, editors, academics, lawyers and commentators about the health of the media in China.
Playlist
As Part of BBC Radio 3's Focus on China season Isabel Hilton reports for Night Waves on the changing state of the media in China today.
The Chinese media has changed beyond recognition over the past twenty years. Where once there were only three national daily newspapers and a handful of magazines, all faithfully following the party line, now every newsstand displays a dazzling array of consumer magazines, business journals and newspapers. Television channels, too, have proliferated. For the internet generation, online media and the blogosphere offer an increasingly rich ecology of information.
But in this vibrant media scene how freely do journalists actually operate? What sort of stories can they easily report on and what others remain problematic? Does the government still pull the strings, and how do China's increasingly professional journalists work within the system? What are the main stimulants for change in the media and, as an example of how well a story is reported, how has the recent earthquake in Sichuan been treated by the Chinese press?
As part of BBC Radio 3's Focus on China season Isabel Hilton reports from Beijing for Night Waves - and talks to journalists, editors, academics, lawyers and commentators about the health and stability of the media scene in China today.
