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Media feeding frenzy over celebs misses the issues
By Wu Jiayin |
March 13, 2009, Friday
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Print Edition
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AS USUAL, it seems that some Chinese media outlets are giving excessive, and unnecessary, celebrity exposure to high-profile delegates attending China's top-level political events in Beijing.
The annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) is under way, and that of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) an advisory body, ended yesterday in the Great Hall of the People.
Instead of seeking interviews with delegates that put forward valuable proposals, many journalists spent most of their time chasing after celebrated delegates.
When famed film director Zhang Yimou, also a CPPCC delegate, stepped out of the Great Hall last week, a gaggle of reporters pursued him in hope of getting some breaking news about the entertainment industry, according to a report on www.china.come.cn last Wednesday.
When Zhang declined, saying he was rushing to a meeting, a female TV reporter threw her arms around his waist, begging for some news, said the report.
Many other well-known delegates are reported to be mobbed by reporters during session breaks, including film director Feng Xiaogang, and Ni Ping, a renowned ex-anchor of China Central Television.
The reporters might claim success if they can dig out some valuable proposals from the famous delegates, especially those concerning how to improve people's livelihoods.
Browsing the latest news about Zhang Yimou, however, showed scant mention of his CPPCC work. Instead, what's hot is that Zhang confirms he will direct the fireworks show for the next National Day Holiday.
While this bit of news is interesting, it is by no means relevant to his work as a member of the CPPCC.
The media should shift its focus from famous delegates to grassroots delegates who do have important things to say.
On the one hand, many famous delegates are usually too busy with their professions to work on valuable proposals. Their relatively superior living conditions also insulate them from thoroughly understanding the problems of ordinary people in their daily lives.
On the other hand, even if they do have good proposals, they always have the spotlight when they present their views.
By contrast, the far lager number of grassroot delegates, many from the lowest stratum, usually have first-hand information about the problems many people are experiencing.
Thus, they are more likely to raise valuable proposals that would benefit many people.
What the media should do is turn their cameras and microphones to people who have something worth hearing.
The annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) is under way, and that of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) an advisory body, ended yesterday in the Great Hall of the People.
Instead of seeking interviews with delegates that put forward valuable proposals, many journalists spent most of their time chasing after celebrated delegates.
When famed film director Zhang Yimou, also a CPPCC delegate, stepped out of the Great Hall last week, a gaggle of reporters pursued him in hope of getting some breaking news about the entertainment industry, according to a report on www.china.come.cn last Wednesday.
When Zhang declined, saying he was rushing to a meeting, a female TV reporter threw her arms around his waist, begging for some news, said the report.
Many other well-known delegates are reported to be mobbed by reporters during session breaks, including film director Feng Xiaogang, and Ni Ping, a renowned ex-anchor of China Central Television.
The reporters might claim success if they can dig out some valuable proposals from the famous delegates, especially those concerning how to improve people's livelihoods.
Browsing the latest news about Zhang Yimou, however, showed scant mention of his CPPCC work. Instead, what's hot is that Zhang confirms he will direct the fireworks show for the next National Day Holiday.
While this bit of news is interesting, it is by no means relevant to his work as a member of the CPPCC.
The media should shift its focus from famous delegates to grassroots delegates who do have important things to say.
On the one hand, many famous delegates are usually too busy with their professions to work on valuable proposals. Their relatively superior living conditions also insulate them from thoroughly understanding the problems of ordinary people in their daily lives.
On the other hand, even if they do have good proposals, they always have the spotlight when they present their views.
By contrast, the far lager number of grassroot delegates, many from the lowest stratum, usually have first-hand information about the problems many people are experiencing.
Thus, they are more likely to raise valuable proposals that would benefit many people.
What the media should do is turn their cameras and microphones to people who have something worth hearing.
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