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Sound bite censorship
In a move to further restrict the free flow of information CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster, appears to be increasingly adopting a policy of selective dubbing and reinterpretation in an effort to control the way that international news is received by the people rather than by issue a blanket restriction.
CCTV9, the Chinese national English language service has begun extensively overdubbing English language press reports issued by the UN and other international agencies and news services, with their own English speaking commentators, allowing the state controlled media to broadcast international news stories while filtering or altering the language used in the broadcast to suit present Chinese interests.
Chinese news services have begun extensively overdubbing both English and Japanese language press releases into Chinese rather than to broadcast the original story with Chinese subtitles. Preventing English and Japanese speakers from hearing the original content of the press releases.
Most notably this re dubbing has included:
- Press releases from United Nations Security Council briefings conducted in English,
- A report criticizing UK intelligence gathering prior to the Iraqi conflict,
- English language reports of anti dumping measures being levied against China by the United States and the EU,
- Coverage of Japanese elections to the upper house.
Is this a growing trend? How has media censorship changed over the years?
Can you recommend any books/articles on the issue? China has (at least for
the next couple decades) potentially the largest television audience of any
country in the world. Watching how they handle free speech should be
interesting, if not frightening.
In the coming weeks, Wangoed.com will feature a forum on internet censorship moderated by that delightful obscenitist Larry West. All are welcome.
Good Sir Dusto [dustyshutters@yahoo.com]
It's not so much a trend in this case but a change in tactics, rather than
trying to block news stories that are unfavorable they are rebroadcasting
stories using their own slant.
During a recent broadcast of a press anouncement by the UN, which was conducted in English, the Chinese broadcasting company removeded the English language sound and replaced it with their own, removing or glossing over certain aspects of the speach and altering the emphasis slightly, yet still apparently broadcasting the relevant sections. This was also noticable during the Japanese elections where they overdubbed the news rather than subtitling it as has been done before, yet where very few people in china can can speak the apropriate language (for example french or german) they still comonly provide subtitles and retain the voiceof the original person.
Censorship of all kinds has always been present in China but it is now becomming move subtle than block this, denounce that, and it is all very predictable and quite obvious to a non Chinese person, and yet barely thought of by a native.
While China has a sizable television audience, their programming schedule barely resembles a US or Japanese schedule, there are no talk shows no debate shows (except Julian Bashir style interviews that are closely scripted by the broabcasters) and no real controversial programs at all, much of Chinese television is taken up by soap operas about wealthy residents of Shanghai or any pther metropolis, or historical dramas that revolve around figh sequences.
It is very difficult to get foreigh television channels, even from Japan or Korea and I have been told that satallite dishes are prohibited in this country so most people only ever get to watch chinese television.
Where the big problem for the government has arrisen is the blog or web log because you don't need any real technical background to write one and you don't need any background to read one, blogs are probably the biggest threat to the government right now which is why so many service providers have been censored and why so many public internet cafes have been forced to close in many of the countries cities.