Chinese War Correspondents

Covering Wars and Conflicts in the Twenty-First Century

verfasst von: Shixin Ivy Zhang

Verlag: Springer Singapore

Buchreihe : Palgrave Series in Asia and Pacific Studies

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book engages with the Chinese mediation of wars and conflicts in the global environment.Proposing a new cascading media and conflict model, it applies this to the studyof war correspondents from six levels: media-policy relations, journalistic objectivity, roleperceptions, news framing and peace/war journalism, news practices, and audience.
Based on interviews with 23 Chinese journalists and case study analysis of the Libyan War,Syrian War, Afghanistan War and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the book demonstrates thata new breed of Chinese war correspondents has emerged today. They undergo a complexand nuanced mediated communication process. Neither traditionally Chinese in theirapproach nor western in their perceptions, they are uniquely pragmatic in negotiating theirroles in a complex web of internal and external actors and factors. The core ideology seemsto be anti-West in defiance of the US hegemony and the bias of global media as well asneutral-Muslims.
Exploring the role perceptions, values, norms and practices of contemporary Chinese warcorrespondents who go outside China to bring the ‘distant culture’ back home, this text is keyreading for scholars and students in international journalism, international communication,war and peace studies, international relations and Chinese studies.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

Abstract

This introductory chapter discusses the significance of studying contemporary Chinese war correspondents and defines them as non-specialist journalists who have covered wars and conflict outside China at least once. It proposes a new cascading media and conflict model to study these correspondents. The new model takes the reporter-centric approach and demonstrates that both domestic and global variables at different levels impact war reporting. A feedback loop also exists to reinforce the values and performances of war correspondents.

The book is divided into two parts. The first one deals with general themes and the second focuses on case studies of the Libyan War, Syrian War, Afghanistan War, and Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

2. Motivations, Roles, and Digital Technology

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the micro-individual level and examines a new breed of Chinese war correspondents, their role perceptions and the impact of ICTs. In the globalizing and convergent world, this new breed is neither traditionally Chinese in their approach nor Western in their perceptions but uniquely pragmatic in negotiating a complex mix of identities, motivations, corporate influences, and state interests. Chinese war correspondents perceive their roles as objective reporter, interpreter, propagandist, and diplomat. They use satellite phones and Google Earth as new reporting tools. Multi-platform reporting is adopted for the purpose of disseminating news to the widest audience and market branding.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

3. Objectivity and Constraints in War Reporting

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the meso-organizational level and examines Chinese journalists’ reflections on objectivity and constraints in war zones. The author adopts the term Chinese-style pragmatic objectivity to mean that objectivity is a convenient approach for Chinese journalists to do war journalism in the field. At the level of objectivity-as-a-value, objectivity is defined as a pragmatic value and a practical ritual for Chinese journalists to do news within the scope they can reach and to justify their version of the truth. It promotes allegiance and patriotism. At the level of objectivity-as-a-practice, objectivity in war coverage is compromised by China’s foreign policies, military constraints, the press’s political orientations and editorial polices, and journalists’ personal experiences and values.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

4. Foreign Policy and War Correspondents

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the macro-institutional level and explores the two-way interactions between China’s foreign policy and war reporting. The authoritarian regime and the media system determine that the indexing theory can be applied in China. China’s national interests and foreign policy dictate the Chinese media in an explicit and arbitrary manner. But how the journalists implement foreign policy is subtle and nuanced. Journalists have developed strategies and tactics to bypass the political constraints imposed by foreign policy and editorial guidelines. In comparison, the CNN effect is not obvious in the Chinese context. The way the media influence the foreign policymaking process is inexplicit and secretive.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

5. Covering the Libyan War

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the the news coverage and journalists’ practices during the 2011 Libyan War. The content analysis and CDA demonstrate that both People’s Daily and Global Times carry more peace-oriented news than the war-oriented news. While People’s Daily focuses on the theme of international relations and diplomacy with a neutral editorial position, Global Times focuses more on the theme of conflict and violence with an editorial position that is pro-Gaddafi and anti-West. In practice, the two themes of peace journalism, diversity of voices and humanity, have been identified in Chinese journalists’ war coverage and their perceptions. But journalists are skeptical about the readers’ appetite and demands for the causes and consequences of conflicts.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

6. Covering the Syrian War

Abstract

This chapter discusses the news content of the 2011 Syrian War as well as views and experiences of a parachute journalist and a resident correspondent. The content analysis and CDA yield a complex picture and contradictory results. People’s Daily uses war journalism as the dominant frame. The themes focus on diplomacy and international relations as well as conflicts and violence. Global Times uses peace journalism as the dominant frame but it dramatizes and sensationalizes the news events with traces of pro-Bashar and anti-West leanings. The two Chinese journalists’ stories reveal that Chinese journalists differentiate their news coverage from that of the dominant Western media and give their version of truth on Syria by focusing on witness accounts and balance.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

7. Covering the Afghanistan War

Abstract

This chapter examines the news framing of the Afghanistan War and two Global Times journalists’ experiences as embedded journalists with the US military. It finds that both People’s Daily and Global Times carry fewer news stories on the Afghanistan War than on the Libyan and Syrian crises. Both titles hold a neutral stance toward the two warring sides: the USA/NATO and Taliban, since both pose potential threats to China’s national security. Chinese embeds’ experiences demonstrate that embeds from a non-participant country can be critical and can reveal the hegemony and hidden agenda of the USA and NATO. They have a strong sense of their national identity and associate the other’s war with their home country.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

8. Covering the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Abstract

This chapter examines how the Chinese news media cover the complex and enduring Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Content analysis and CDA demonstrate that People’s Daily and Global Times pay more attention to the current and immediate conflicts than the long and sustainable conflicts. Neither pro-Israel nor pro-Palestine leanings are evident in the titles. But interviews reveal that two political factions—pro-Israel and pro-Palestine—exist in China. Although the foreign policy and general editorial guidelines focus on neutrality and balance, the news outlets tend to favour Palestine. Journalists are free to criticize Israel but they must be cautious about criticizing Palestine for the sake of Sino-Arab traditional friendship and the risks of causing ethnic tensions with Muslims in China.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

9. Conclusion

Abstract

This chapter provides conclusions on Chinese war correspondents from six levels including role perceptions, objectivity, foreign policy and media relations, news audience, news practice, news framing and peace/war journalism. Actors and factors in both domestic and global dimensions are addressed. In conclusion, a new breed of Chinese war correspondents has emerged in the twenty-first century which is different from older generations and Western counterparts. Chinese war correspondence has become embodied in multiple modalities and forms. Journalists enjoy a certain autonomy in war reporting but encounter institutional, organizational and individual constraints. The core ideology seems to be anti-West in defiance of the hegemony of the US-led Western countries and the bias of the global media as well as neutral Muslims.

Shixin Ivy Zhang

Backmatter

Titel: Chinese War Correspondents
verfasst von: Shixin Ivy Zhang
Verlag: Springer Singapore
Electronic ISBN: 978-981-10-1738-4
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-1737-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1738-4