A Looking Glass Fogged :: Journalism Journalist Essays

A Looking Glass Fogged In reporting, it is sometimes the case that a story is told from a certain point of view due to political pressures, especially when dispute surrounds the subject matter. One such case is the reporting on the Chinese-Tibetan conflict, in which China's overwhelming political and fiscal power has the potential to seep into the affairs of newspaper owners. In my paper, I will examine a certain event as it was published in a variety of newspapers, and how their coverage differs from the AP Worldstream report. Additionally, I will analyze what appears to be an extremely one-sided report and how it is of benefit to its publisher. China has always sought to culturally integrate Tibet with the Chinese mainland, for reasons as diverse as the parties involved. Recently this has expressed itself in the form of a planned railway reaching from Beijing to Lhasa, the Tibetan Capital. China has justified this action with its usual stance on Tibetan integration, as an effort to modernize Tibet 'for its own good' and provide it with an influx of labor and industry. Groups opposed to the project fear that the railway will cause a new wave of Chinese settlers who will dilute the region's unique culture and exploit the land for its resources. (AP-Worldstream) The Associated Press is a news source for news sources. Their business consists of covering events and reselling the reports to a variety of papers, so it is in their interest to stay as neutral as possible. In their coverage of the Railway project they cover both sides equally, starting with China's moral obligation to "enrich" the Tibetan culture with an inflow of Chinese culture and labor. To quote Shi, an overseer: "Tibet has been without the railway, but now they will have the same great things and great life as us."(2) While the Chinese side makes no mention of this, the AP report covers political motives for this $3.3 billion investment. With the railroad in place, China would be able to immediately deploy troops to stomp any sort of Tibetan uprising as well as saturate the area and culture with Chinese immigrants, furthering China's grip on the Tibetan region. The article does a thorough job of showing both unrelenting sides of the issue - the Chinese developer's zeal for get ting the railroad underway and wants for further development, employment and opportunities, and the Tibetan fear of exploitation and cultural dilution.