• AfricanExpansionist@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    I worked at Chinese state media. We’d produce stories like these all the time. They’re just kind of soft diplomacy and cheerleading. Most readers of China’s English-language newspapers are from places like Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Usually high school or university students learning or improving their English. Stories like this are targeted at them, to make it sound like the things are swell.

    Often they are! But it’s definitely a conscious effort by these government-directed news organizations.

    Is China special? Not really. I’d argue that all large-scale news organizations around the world function as propaganda of a sort, whether private or public. China’s is usually just more ham-fisted.

    • Lenins2ndCat@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Yeah? Which one? CGTN? Sixth Tone? Ever meet Jingjing? I assume it’s an english one given you seem to be a native speaker.

      This answer doesn’t actually refute the article on whether it is accurate or not so I guess you’re going to agree that it’s accurate then?

      Is China special? Not really. I’d argue that all large-scale news organizations around the world function as propaganda of a sort, whether private or public. China’s is usually just more ham-fisted.

      Absolutely 100% and we have the CIA’s John Stockwell in the 70s discussing about their complete and total infiltration of and ability to put out anything they want in the media back in then, their control and ability has only advanced in the 50~ years since.

      Small local newspaper media on the other hand is often populated with good people, even the ones owned by very large corporations, because of the reduced pool of potential writers and staff.