Presenting the truth on the riots

• Source: Global Times
• [00:59 July 10 2009]
• Comments

If not cropping photos intentionally to misrepresent the facts, or not using outdated material to fabricate news, can be considered progress in news reporting, the coverage of the recent violence in Xinjiang in the Western media has progressed, compared with the coverage of the March 14 protest in Lhasa last year.

This time the Western media didn’t have the opportunity to produce rumors, let alone spread them. Rumors were prevented by the timely transmission of the truth.

Thirty minutes after the bloody violence erupted, Xinhua News Agency filed a story suggesting the seriousness of the riots. On the following days, the government granted full access to foreign media. Major Chinese news channels ran footage showing horrifying violence, and some segments were run on foreign news channels.

But hoping the greater openness would result in objective and truthful reporting turned out to be wishful thinking. Imbalanced coverage and opinionated commentating far outnumber fair reporting on the incident. As one Chinese commentator put it, the Western media has shown excitement to see discord in one of China’s most ethnically diverse regions.

China faces a tough challenge to maintain ethnic harmony, as many other countries do, and it needs to reflect on its ethnic policy. Complicated causes led to the riots. While most ethnic groups are at peace with each other in Xinjiang, certain dissatisfaction arises due to the underdevelopment of the region.

But media members should do their homework, and follow the basic reporting rules before making conclusions on the cause of the unrest.

Through carefully selecting which quotes and photos to use, and making a prejudiced choice of sources, many stories wrongly implied the incident was an example of a mistreated minority asking for justice, with people dying because of a police crackdown.

On the front page of today’s Global Times, we publish a letter from a Han Chinese student at Stanford University, who was born and raised in Urumqi. During the riots, her cousin was thrown out of a fifth-floor window by two men, and her cousin’s mother is now clinging to life in the hospital after being stabbed.

Any media outlet interested in furthering justice should condemn the atrocities committed in Urumqi, regardless of what sparked them. It troubles us to see some biased media, out of a deep-rooted hostility against the Chinese government, choose to excuse the mobs. Western media, which many Chinese regard as respectful and credible, is again doing a disappointing job.

We welcome sincere suggestions and advice. But finger-pointing is irritating and agitating conflict is shameful.