NAN-F-11
Journalists
By Aderonke Ojediran-Lawal
Beijing, April 24, 2017 (NAN) The Executive Secretary of the All-China Journalists Association, Wang Dongmei, said on Monday that freedom of information thrives in the Chinese media, except on security issues.
Wang made the remark while speaking with a delegation of visiting Nigerian journalists who paid a courtesy visit to the association’s office in Beijing, China.
“There is no pressure whatsoever from the Chinese government on the media and reporters in China.
“I am an old journalist, so I know what I am talking about. But if you want to report military secrets or government secrets that have yet to be in the public domain, then there are limits and this is the same in every society.
“Our association is the bridge between the government and journalists because in China, the government does not deal with individual journalists.
“There are no restrictions as long as we are not reporting things that can compromise the security of our country.
“Harmful information like gambling, drugs and pornography cannot be released in China. Also, information that can cause social unrest is controlled in China,’’ she said
The secretary added that there was a good rapport between the government and the media in China, stressing that there were no restrictions whatsoever on what a Chinese journalist could do, except in those restricted areas.
“From my experience, there is no limit to what Chinese journalists generally report on, just like in other countries.
“The Chinese government and the Chinese media have very friendly relations.
“We have spokespersons for every government department and agency, we relate with the government spokespersons for their routine duties like press conferences.
“Other than working relationships, we also have private relationships and we relate with them very well.
“However, like in other countries, there is room for us to improve upon our relationships and we are working on that,’’ she said.
On the significance of the visit by the Nigerian journalists, she hoped that it would help the journalists to know more about China from the Chinese point of view.
“The All-China Journalists Association is the home of all Chinese journalists, we also have contacts with foreign journalists, and we have more than 100 foreign news agencies operating in China.
“In recent years, the All-China Journalists Association has a very close relationship with the journalists’ union in Nigeria.
“We have sent delegations to each other’s countries in recent years. This year, the Chinese journalists association will also be sending a delegation to visit Nigeria. We warmly welcome you on this visit made possible by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Nigeria and China are both developing countries. We are also the most populous nations in our respective regions.
“Though our people have limited knowledge of each other, our media has a responsibility to report on China, Nigerian journalists can introduce China to Nigeria and Nigerians and help to promote people-to-people exchange.
On the issue of fake journalists in China, she told the delegation that there was now an online site where all registered Chinese journalists are listed.
“Certified Chinese journalists are about two hundred and thirty thousand, the people who work in the Chinese media industry are about two million. That is a rough estimate.
“We have more than two thousand two hundred different kinds of newspapers and magazines.
“We also have more than two thousand, four hundred radio stations and more than a thousand television stations.
On the greatest challenge being faced by the media, the executive secretary said that the use of modern equipment was very essential.
“I think the biggest challenge is the new media that has changed the traditional media greatly.
“New media have changed the procedure of traditional media for journalists. They don’t only need to just know how to use the Microsoft Word, and how to upload pictures and plan pages, they also have to know how to release news content by means of technology.
“This is a very high requirement for Chinese journalists. They also know how to use social media tools such as WeChat, to release information. Some even have to use drones and robots to release news content.
“The welfare of Chinese journalists is protected by Chinese law. The media houses must provide all kinds of insurance such as medical, retirement and life, as well as housing.
“The Association has a committee to protect the rights of journalists. For instance, if a journalist is injured or dies, the association will determine the benefits of such journalist on an individual basis,’’ she said.
On violence against journalists in the course of duty, she said that there were only a few cases of such.
“There is no case of killing of journalists, but we have cases of injury during interviews. In such cases, we contact the law enforcement agencies and allow them to handle the situation.
On the restricted use of social media such as, Google, Facebook, Instagram and others, she said that the Chinese law takes precedence over all international social media.
“Any international social media company which wants to invest in the Chinese market, should follow Chinese laws. We do insist on that,’’ she added. (NAN)
OAF/ERO/PIO
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Idonije Obakhedo)