China paces up toward greater transparency
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Dalai-Backed Violence Scars Lhasa -- has won the first-prize of China News Prize, the highest honor a Chinese reporter can win, by a unanimous vote.
"The result encourages media to report news, even "sensitive and negative" ones, in China to the world as quickly and truthfully as possible," said Yin Yungong, a leading Chinese scholar of journalism and judging panel member of China News Prize.
The prize is also awarded to two other "negative" stories this year:
Reporters Accept Hush Money to Conceal Colliery Disaster that exposed the corruption of journalists; At Least 14 Babies Develop Kidney Stones after Drinking Sanlu Milk, which triggered a health scare in China over infant milk powder.
Shenzhen, a pilot city of China's reform and opening-up policy, will stage a new law that holds news spokesman accountable for failing to release information "actively and timely" on Dec. 1, 2009.
China set up a special press center to support more than 1,300 overseas journalists in reporting the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China. The details of the parade was released through the center several days in advance.
Establishing press centers has become a convention in helping overseas media to cover important events in China, including 17th CPC National Congress, the launch of Shenzhou VII and Beijing Olympic Games.
"Press centers are a name card to show China's openess, harmony and democracy to the world," said Zhai Huisheng, director of Press Center for Celebrating the 60th Founding Anniversary of P.R. China and party secretary of China Journalist Association.
Cooperation with media, including answering embarrassing questions at press conferences, has become a compulsory course in training officials.
More than 160 central government organs and all the provinces and cities in China have established news release departments and appointed press spokesmen to enhance government transparency.
China's Ministry of Defense launched official web site (www.mod.gov.cn) in English and Chinese on August 20 to promote the international image and perceived transparency of the People's Liberation Army.
"China has always been trying to be sincere, open and transparent to the media since reform and opening-up, because transparency is in line with the country's interests," said Liu Binjie, director of General Administration of Press and Publication.
"China's enhanced transparency to foreign media shows its determination to open even greater to the world in the long run," Liu said.
"We welcome fair and constructive criticism and we are confident in taking the challenges of journalists after 30 years of reform and opening-up," Liu added.
Increasingly more Chinese officials have realized that transparency is vital for crisis control. Press spokesman system has taken shape and been evolving since the outbreak of SARS in 2003.
"Negative news" that used to be buried are being released by official spokesmen, including the tainted milk powder scandal, infection of A/H1N1 and "mass incidents" or protests of various scales.
On July 6, only one day after the riot that has left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi, the State Council Information Office sent an invitation to overseas media offering support for objective and fair reports.
"Openess stems from confidence, and rumors are stopped by truth -- and by rapid and extensive dissemination of truth," said Wang Chen, director of the State Council Information Office.
Li Tai, a reporter with Economist, who arrived Urumqi the next day, said, "The Chinese government has been very open to foreign media." A day after the riot, more than 60 overseas media have arrived and started reporting on the spot.
China has been pacing up in promoting transparency since the 16th CPC National Congress, Yin said.
The revised Regulations Concerning Foreign Journalists and Permanent Offices of Foreign News Agencies and Regulations on the Disclosure of Government Information are the two landmarking laws that provide much greater freedom and convenience for foreign reporters, Yin said.
"Transparency reflects governance capability. Timely and official press release can clarify facts, clear up misunderstandings and prevent panic," Yin said.
"Transparency has become a goal that China is determined to reach," he added.
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