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Press won't be free in Hong Kong in long run

About 500,000 people took to the streets in Hong Kong to protest the legislative process surrounding Article 23 of the Basic Law (基本法) on July 1 last year, but China Central Television (CCTV) pretended that this demonstration never happened.

Meanwhile, the outbreak of SARS wreaked havoc in Hong Kong. It was almost like the end of the world at that time, but the TV station covered its eyes.

Guangdong Province exported the disease to Hong Kong and seriously endangered the people of the territory. The media could only keep their mouths shut as officialdom tried to cover up the epidemic.

CCTV suddenly became lively again after the World Health Organization (WHO) pressured the Chinese government, which eventually dismissed its health minister and the mayor of Beijing after Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) ordered that SARS cases be reported honestly.

I recently attended a seminar in Beijing, and was deeply moved by the experiences of outstanding Chinese journalists working to uncover scandals.

Take those idealistic journalists in their thirties at the News Investigation (新聞調查), a famous weekly news program.

They work outside CCTV's personnel structure.

On the one hand, they have to resist huge pressure coming from people with power, money and connections.

On the other hand, they have to endure half their reports ending up in the wastebasket.

Zhang Jie (張潔), the producer of the show, is a poised and diligent man. The style of the show is obviously copied from the CBS program 60 Minutes.

He frequently reminds young journalists that they should "remember to represent the interests of the masses."

CCTV takes in half of China's TV commercials. It's a gigantic monopolistic organization with exorbitant profits.

News Investigation and other programs can hardly touch on China's fundamental structural problems. But the public is overjoyed about the program's uncovering instances of minor corruption.

Many journalists have benefited from the marketization of the media. Market interests have kidnapped the passion for political reform, but there are quite a few journalists who are still full of ideals.

They love to stand up against injustice. They long for Western journalistic professionalism, but they use the Chinese Communist Party language -- such as "serving the people" and "the path of the masses" -- to open up gray areas.

More than a decade ago, Chinese intellectuals listened to Voice of America despite the interference of noisy shortwave static.

With the Internet, they do not have to undergo such torment anymore. Today, they turn to the Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television (鳳凰衛星電視) when a significant event occurs.

However, Phoenix TV not only remained silent about Hong Kong's massive demonstration last year, but also purposely used close-ups to exaggerate left-wing gatherings.

Beijing did not prevent the crowds from marching and Phoenix TV regretted sailing in the wrong direction.

Friends in Beijing's journalism circles described Phoenix TV as the second CCTV.

Some of the commentators gesturing in the programs are just like the "fifth column," fomenting a narrow nationalism that even Chinese people, who are used to this kind of thing, can't take.

Phoenix TV has held back from criticizing China for fear of rocking the boat. The station is bound to go downhill sooner or later.

Lee Chin-chuan is the chairman of the Department of English and Communication at the City University of Hong Kong.

TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
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