Taking media questions
- Source: Global Times
- [11:05 November 29 2010]
- Comments
Gong Tieying answering the press.
By Xing Daiqi
Encapsulating the essence of a training program on press-State relations hosted for senior Chinese spokespeople in Washington D.C., Meiguo Zhengfu Ruhe Yu Meiti Dajiaodao (How the US Government Handles the Media) is a new book from veteran Chinese press officer Gong Tieying.
A truthful and insightful memoir on what he learned, asked and reflected on following his recent experience communicating with his American counterparts, Gong's book sheds light on the changing media landscape in the US and the practice of media coverage of government.
"China and the West may have the biggest disparity as far as press is concerned. However, this exchange visit initiated by the State Council Information Office of China reflects the openness of our country, which is a world of difference from the past practice of treating Western media as the formidable enemy," Gong commented.
"The central government is preparing for the launch of a spokesperson system in various departments of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Based on the lectures given by seasoned scholars, State Department officials and political consultants in the US, I hope this book can widen the horizons of those Chinese spokespeople-to-be and researchers in journalism and communication," the author added.
In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Gong shared his reflections on the differences between Chinese and Western systems, as well as the changing media environment in China.
Speaking out
According to Gong, even before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the CPC had a tradition of working closely with the Western media. Works like Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow and early coverage on the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) led by the CPC, conveyed China to the West.
However, it was not until 1983 that the All-China Journalists Association first announced the names of official spokespeople in different departments of the State Council to journalists from home and abroad, symbolizing the establishment of a spokesperson system in China.
"Spokespeople in the West are mainly selected from experienced journalists, for instance, in the US, over 85 percent of the spokespeople since the 1950s have a journalism background, so they know how to extract and present the news to arouse public interest," Gong explained.
In China, spokespeople are often appointed by government departments, usually from the leaders of an administration office or research institute, so they are fully equipped with knowledge of their own departments to communicate with the media, he added.
"In China, spokespeople serve as the voice of government and its achievements," Gong said. "Government reaction on challenging issues concerning common people like the poor law enforcement of housing demolition is hardly featured in a spokesperson's work. Such circumstances should be improved in the future," Gong remarked.
