When No News is Good News

The American Mind ^ | 11/19/21 | Habi Zhang

[PoliticallyShort]

In China, where I grew up, news is known to the people as propaganda in its neutral, if not positive, sense. Since all news agencies are run by the state, “news” is whatever events and opinions the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party permits or manufactures.

Growing up in a household of illiterate parents, I never saw newspapers as a child. My first dose of propaganda was a 30-minute TV program named Xinwen Lianbo (“CCTV Network News”), broadcast in the early evening via all local stations, that I occasionally watched at relatives’ homes. Sounds and images, rather than words, work better with uneducated or indifferent masses. Since 1978, this daily news program remains a textbook success of the Soviet style of propaganda—a refined manipulation warping concepts, language, and history, aimed at convincing the Chinese people of the benevolence of the Party and the superiority of Socialism. Many years later, when I read Orwell’s 1984, the depiction of the Two Minutes Hate ritual reminded me of the 30-minute Xinwen Lianbo.

There is never news, but only fantasy, in China.

[Responsibility2nd]

So. Has China copied American news media standards?

Or has ABCNNBMSNBCFOX copied CCTV standards?

Is there a difference?

[caww]

Quoting writer.....”“news” is whatever events and opinions the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party permits or manufactures.”........

Sounds like US news Networks.

[Cold Heart]

Second to last sentence; “In short, most of the people see through the media”.

Not applicable in Portland.

[Jamestown1630]

Brilliant thinker and writer.

[adorno]

In China, where I grew up, news is known to the people as propaganda in its neutral, if not positive, sense. Since all news agencies are run by the state, “news” is whatever events and opinions the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party permits or manufactures.

Gee!

It sounds exactly like what the American left media does in the U.S. all the time, and where that left-wing media (aka: democrat party media) wants to take the rest of the U.S.

But, the democrat party still has to take complete power of the government, and then they'll be ready to declare the rest of the media as 'enemies of the people'.

[PGR88]

The USA is moving towards a Chinese model of media-control, tech surveillance, and central planning.

China relies on outright state control of everything and (rather stupidly) demands total control.

The USA is somewhat different in that it relies much more on co-opted crony capitalists and elites bent into compliance and alliance by the massive regulation-state, printed money funding both government and ostensibly independent political ideologues everywhere, and the legal abuse by the DOJ.

The USA will allow dissent where it doesn’t matter, among the irrelevant and non-powerful.

Of course, if they organize nationally, the FBI will be watching, just like Public Security in China.

Otherwise, the two systems are rapidly converging on each other.

[Responsibility2nd]

In China - the State uses the Media to lie to the Population.

In the USA - the State allows the Media to lie to the Population.

I’ve often wondered which is the great threat to America.

The State or our media?

I honestly don’t know which is worse.

[econjack]

The relationship of CNN or MSNBC to the Democratic party is no different from that of CCTV (China Central Television) to the Party. They all feed their audiences comforting lies.

CNN, MSNBC, and most other media outlets quit being news outlets decades ago. The only difference is now it is so blatant that anyone with more than one neuron still firing can see it. The Left has an agenda and the MSM are the dupes how sell it to the rest of us...and it's not just politics.

Have you notice that virtually every TV ad now has a gay or mixed-race couple? Why do they think they have to sell that view to everyone? Prime time TV shows do the same thing. I should not have to explain to my grandson why two men are kissing in bed during prime time TV. Is there any prime time show that doesn't have a gay couple now? Given that less than 5% of the population says they are gay, I don't understand the push for it on TV.

[Jamestown1630]

The media. It’s their job to watchdog over the State.

[Kinzua]

TV is irredeemable. You should not allow your grandson to watch at all. Everything on TV needs explaining.

[ifinnegan]

Great article, thanks.

[libertylover]

Good article.

See Tagline, which is becoming more and more accurate.

[I am Richard Brandon]

In this conservative forum, why don’t we ask why the right-leaning media doesn’t concentrate more on exposing the lies of The Left. I have seen it done (the exposing) but not enough and not strongly enough.