media - The 'killing' of anti-Japanese activists



In a flare of anger ESWN engages in a powerful argument dissident websites for a habit they have in common with the official media in China: publishing blatant lies next to truthful stories. Starting point is the unproven and even highly unlikely story of a killing of 17 anti-Japanese activists by police in Shenzhen on April 25.
The disputed report says:

According to eyewitnesses, these plainclothes policemen came in four cars with eleven personnel. The eyewitnesses heard gunshots from the factory. Afterwards, a large truck came and 17 stretchers came out with bodies covered in white sheets. The scene was then cleaned up and the cars left.
Afterwards, the news came out that anti-Japanese activities were suppressed in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenyang. But the news of the bloodshed was strictly shut down.

And ESWN argues:

The problem with a website like Peacehall [who published this report - CH] is that it is a mix of apparent truths and total lies. Peacehall publishes many interesting posts from Chinese dissidents as well as hosts the works of the members of the Chinese Independent PEN. As such, this is one of my major resources. At the same time, I also had to learn to avoid the blatant fabrications (such as the million plus Chinese Communist Party members who have heeded the Nine Criticisms from the F*L*G master Li Hong*zi to resign from their party).

The problem is of course that traditional media in China used and still use similar methods. The quest for the truth is not yet a firmly rooted tradition in the Chinese media, whatever side they belong to. If not telling the truth would be a reasonable argument to ban websites, as ESWN argues, what should happen to the newsagents in China?

On media and lies