Netizens blast CCTV for 'excessive' Hurricane Sandy coverage
Staff Reporter 2012-11-01 13:10
A local resident walks a flooded street in Queens, New York. (Photo/Xinhua)
Chinese internet users are upset after Hurricane Sandy lashed the east coast of the United States on Wednesday, but not over the damage the storm caused. They are disgruntled over what they consider to be excessive coverage of the storm from state broadcaster China Central Television, which has largely overlooked recent major incidents at home.
The massive storm has killed 63 people so far and flooded New York City, cutting power, crippling subway lines and forcing Wall Street to close because of the weather for the first time since 1985. Hundreds of homes in a borough in Queens burned down in a fire caused by the storm and direct economic losses on account of the disaster are estimated at around US$10 billion.
One internet user said sarcastically how kind it was for CCTV to show such concern for the people of America by sending such a large number of reporters such a long way to report live on the disaster. "What was the real concern? Then I realized that these seemingly worthless live broadcasts were made for officials whose wives and children were there," the internet user commented cynically.
Another netizen let fly and said the network is using resources that belong to all Chinese people. They should focus more on local incidents such as the bridge that recently collapsed in Harbin or the Guangzhou official who assaulted a flight attendant, he said.
"The Chinese television network did not fly all the way across the Pacific Ocean to report on Hurricane Sandy. Their equipment and commitment can not be compared with their American peers. They were there to prove that the American empire is still struggling and show government officials how their wives and children have been doing," concurred a netizen goes by the name of Zhong Xiaokai.
In effect, the netizens are criticizing the media for shying away from negative news as the country prepares for the leadership transition at the 18th National Congress, which will open on Nov. 8.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Oct. 25 that it will increase the security check of the internet, monitoring popular topics and posts across the country and business during the national congress.
On the ground, police reportedly dragged away reporters from the British television network Sky News from demonstrations in the coastal city of Ningbo when they tried to interview protestors on Oct 29. The authorities have also blocked the report this week from the New York Times that said the family of Premier Wen Jiabao owns at least US$2.7 billion of assets.
"China Central Television fell asleep during the floods in Beijing and was still in a sweet dream when the demonstrations in Ningbo took place. However, it woke up when winds became stronger in America and carried the resources of all the Chinese people to America to showcase the happiness of the Chinese people," said netizen Yu Jianrong.
Southern Daily, the official Guangdong Communist Party newspaper, voiced its support to the television network and said it should not be judged for covering foreign affairs far more enthusiastically than domestic ones. The coverage can help China to learn from other countries' response and issues in case of major incidents.
