getting chummy with the foreign media

1、<p>　　Getting Chummy with the Foreign Media</p><p>　　“We will facilitate foreign media coverage of China in accordance with the law.” </p><p>　　?C President Hu Jintao, during his speech at

2、the World Media Summit, October 9, 2009 </p><p>　　BEIJING saw the opening of a two-day World Media Summit last October, hosted by Xinhua News Agency and jointly initiated by News Corporation, Associated Pres

3、s, Reuters, ITAR-TASS, Kyodo News, BBC, Turner Broadcasting System and Google. Participants representing some 170 news agencies, radio, television, newspaper, magazine and online media came from over 70 countries and reg

4、ions. </p><p>　　With the themes of Cooperation, Action, Win-Win and Development, the first-ever media summit discussed the status quo of modern scribing and the developing trends and challenges they are faci

5、ng. It concluded with a World Media Summit Joint Statement, essentially a consensus on responding to challenges, promoting cooperation and achieving fair and balanced coverage. </p><p>　　The attitude the Chi

6、nese government bears to foreign media has changed obviously in the past couple of years. Before 2007, overseas media was expected to act in conformity with the Regulations Concerning Foreign Journalists and Permanent Of

7、fices of Foreign News Agencies issued back in 1990. Overseas media was required to apply to related offices in charge of foreign affairs before coming to the mainland to conduct interviews. </p><p>　　To faci

8、litate the hosting of foreign journalists flocking in for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Regulations on Reporting Activities in China by Foreign Journalists during the Beijing Olympic Games and the Preparatory Period we

9、re put into effect on January 1, 2007. According to this set of regulations, foreign media could interview whomever they wished by simply getting the permission of interviewees. However, emergency events that took place

10、a few months prior to the Olympics changed the stance</p><p>　　Lessons must be learned. When a deadly earthquake hit Sichuan two months later, foreign journalists were approved from the very first moment to

11、conduct interviews in disaster-stricken areas. The conveniences foreign media temporarily enjoyed during the Olympic Games were written into the Regulations Concerning Foreign Journalists and Permanent Offices of Foreign

12、 News Agencies, which permanently superceded the previous regulations on October 17, 2008. The latest regulations allow foreign journali</p><p>　　When riots broke out in Xinjiang on July 5, 2009, the Chinese

13、 government facilitated foreign journalists to go to the scene on the following day. And during the celebration of the PRC’s 60th anniversary, a news center was established to provide professional services to media organ

14、izations. Foreign media’s needs were considered when making up the schedule. </p><p>　　Taipei-based China Times commented in the article “China Looking for a Louder Voice”: “China initiated the summit becaus

15、e, as a big emerging country, it requires a voice that carries as far as its economic power. On several occasions when the country’s core interests were at stake, the government’s position and vital facts failed to be re

16、flected by international mainstream coverage.” </p><p>　　The French newspaper Nouvelles D’Europe celebrated that the rally of media magnets at the summit made the event a media Olympics and a wonderful oppor

17、tunity for exchange. As for the efforts the Chinese government has made in the interests of information transparency, David Schlesinger, Editor-in-Chief of Reuters, believes China’s rapid progress is worthy of praise. Pe

18、ter Tichauer, editor-in-chief of China Contact in Germany, said every department of the Chinese central government has introduced </p><p>　　There seems to be every reason for optimism with respect to the dom