張華: 新聞自由的危急存亡之秋 4 n& b p. ?3 }& X/ q: w5.39.217.76tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb; E' {, c/ \8 A' K4 e
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胡錦濤訪港三天，竟是香港新聞史上最黑暗的三天。一名《蘋果日報》記者因為向十多米外的胡錦濤高聲提問六四問題，竟被警員帶走問話十五分鐘，原因是他「太大聲」、「影響秩序」及「違規」。. z* T! p) a) f; F* x5 y
2 }' ~- T: Q V! A7 |; M' X& l本月6日，李旺陽被揭發在醫院窗口離奇吊頸死亡，翌日本港主要媒體均以顯著篇幅報道，同日《南華早報》的印刷第一版，包括向學校、酒店等派發的訂戶版，以相當於中文報章600字的篇幅，在A8頁中國版約佔六分之一頁大小報道，並有兩名記者的署名。但其後印製的第二版即零售版，則將新聞濃縮成100字的簡訊，置於A6版左上方，網上版更失去此則新聞的蹤影，直至中午過後始重新上載原裝版本。 " r7 Z" G* u2 ]TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 0 e4 `9 m# i/ y/ p: J7 T L2 Htvb now,tvbnow,bttvb原600字篇幅 變100字簡訊tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb0 f1 d: C$ |3 [7 [% S0 p
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Alex Price於報道見報日、即本月7日晚發電郵給王向偉，表示不少人奇怪為何有關報道簡單處理，希望王解釋。王向偉3分鐘後回覆稱，「決定是我下的」（ I made that decision） 。Alex再發電郵，關注事件是否有「自我審查之嫌」，王反駁「沒必要向你解釋」，更表明「若你不喜歡，你應該知道怎樣做」( If youdon't like it, you know what to do）。 3 F& |; A* t/ w# G) rtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb ( u0 e) m) c' _' K公仔箱論壇Alex認為回覆具恐嚇性，「擔心任何人對編輯決定提出質疑，均會被要求閉嘴或離開」，重申當其他媒體以大篇幅報道事件，向總編輯提出如此質疑亦屬合理，惟王向偉否認出言恐嚇，拒再說明（見圖）。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ c0 k+ t5 u; J& Y9 c/ R' X* A1 v
% c+ K; |: _: S' b, E, q, s Y. T5.39.217.76編輯：南早公信力危在旦夕公仔箱論壇% _% z& K, d/ I7 L$ j, u
R3 f* |1 E6 T即使Alex前日再發電郵，提出南華早報其後曾以專題、社論等顯著篇幅報道李旺陽事件，反映有其重要，然而首日確是做細了這則新聞，又稱新聞道德和該報的公信力危在旦夕，促王向偉向員工及公眾交代，惟一直未獲回覆。 : d1 y3 f! U& ^6 D 1 O$ C4 M; Z0 m: y6 x$ Y4 otvb now,tvbnow,bttvb據了解，相關人士不滿王向偉未有交代，遂向全體員工發出有關電郵，有員工再廣發傳媒，令事件曝光。 , t& P% z, P* T- |) ^2 ctvb now,tvbnow,bttvb - a$ _) c4 |' R/ e; Z' U公仔箱論壇Alex Price: Hi Xiangwei ... A lot of people are wondering why we nibbed the Li Wangyang story last night. It does seem rather odd. Any chance you can shed some light on the matter?tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb' t2 `# l; {/ E. {+ n1 l
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王向偉: I made that decision.5.39.217.76: [! \0 x( e4 F* X( \3 O9 M
! ?3 u+ y* b) O! Y3 NAlex Price: Any chance you say why? It's just that to the outside world it looks an awful lot like self-censorship ...tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb' I$ i8 [% k( D c9 s c4 O
2 Z, a# X4 r2 b) x' p. @5 a0 w王向偉: I don't have to explain to you anything. I made the decision and I stand by it. If you don't like it, you know what to do. ( p) E6 h/ j; ]! dAlex Price: I am concerned by the intimidatory nature of your reply. A very strange editorial decision was made and everyone is wondering why. Many other news organisations splashed with the Li Wangyang story yet we reduced it to a brief. In such circumstances it is quite reasonable to ask the editor why the decision was made. Of course he may decline to say why; there could be any number of reasons, and he may well want to keep them to himself. But if the question was polite and reasonable than [then] I see no reason why the response should not be equally polite and reasonable. As it stands, I am concerned. I am now worried that anyone who wishes to raise issue with an editorial decision - no matter how much that decision appears to go against good journalism - will be told to shut up or leave. I am further concerned that my justifiable concern on this matter as a journalist may lead to the termination of my employment. 7 f3 c# ^2 f9 I6 x . h8 t0 I6 w; |* J: D2 h. [I look forward to a chat where you can put my mind at rest.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。* X, A- `2 B& b' y0 Q
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。- G* ?1 V+ n- y$ v% M8 U' m' t- ]
王向偉: I don't think my answer is anyway intimidatory and I don't know why you have formed your opinion.! H- C b. N& U* z: u; y+ h
- @: }& N0 z: _公仔箱論壇Alex Price: Xiang Wei; A good man died for his cause and we turned it from a story into a brief. The rest of Hong Kong splashed on it. Your staff are understandably concerned by this. News is printing what someone else does not want printed.Everything else is public relations. Please explain the decision to reduce the suspicious death of Li Wangyang to a brief. I need to be able to explain it to my friends who are asking why we did it. I'm sorry but your reply of"it is my decision, if you don't like it you know what to do" is not enough in such a situation. Frankly it seems to be saying "shut up or go". The SCMP has subsequently splashed on Li Wangyang, had a focus page devoted to the matter, plus editorials, two columns by yourself and other stories. Yet on the day it counted we reduced the story to a nib.& u$ E' v: a: E& U; n) n1 I
- H3 B) }- G4 Z1 TTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Journalistic ethics are at stake. The credibility of the South China Morning Post is at stake. Your staff- and readers - deserve an answer.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb& p( G ~8 K5 X4 d1 G9 q0 k
I look forward to hearing it.# d( b' g7 X$ Q( v! M$ V
: N% A0 f, j1 G在王向偉的管理下，這份報紙已經失去了香港乃至於國際讀者的信任。它現在幾乎淪落為本地中文媒體中的一個笑話了。 " z" `$ \$ m, x, b0 O1 w5.39.217.76 ' P9 s5 ?4 \% G* \9 |2 `2 f& Q9 A可悲的是，《南華早報》這份歷史超過百年的老牌報紙， 可能等不到轉捩點了。失去了公信力和士氣，它一步步走向衰落，而報社內的保守主義卻日益興盛。有競爭力的記者不會願意加入這樣的報社。而《南華早報》也將因此在平庸的泥沼中越陷越深。香港英文報刊的整體前景堪憂，這真是可悲。 : o, f( d4 d6 K5 { o( F3 t7 j/ ~公仔箱論壇; w, U( c/ ?+ b% V
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tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb8 u0 I1 _) G0 }' A/ B' E, g' p+ N: L 作者提交的原文： 5 F8 J0 x4 T Y公仔箱論壇 . f7 f7 i( J; |2 fTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 4 m3 Q/ r/ D# J1 I+ HSelf-censorship in SCMP # m9 C! n1 E3 lPaul MooneyTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。9 p3 l) _- R- m+ a) \5 O3 J P
/ N' L" p8 I+ w5 u1 T- HTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。On April 22, Wang Xiangwei, the new editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post, informed me that my contract with the newspaper would not be renewed when it expired on May 21. I can't say I was surprised.5.39.217.767 {7 G* h4 a$ }6 n1 q
2 M# u, R! ]* H sSitting in a hotel restaurant in Hong Kong on a hot April day, Wang stared down at the table as the conversation began,seemingly unwilling to make eye contact. After a few minutes of chit chat, I asked him directly about my contract. He fidgeted and said he would not be able to renew it due to budget problems. . Y' j$ l+ d5 W5 L/ Mtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb & S9 m, c7 r& {$ J% |
To me it was clear that this was a political decision. For seven months, he had basically blocked me from writing any China stories for the newspaper. During that period, I only had two stories in the China pages of the newspaper–one on panda bears and one on compensation for AIDS victims. Some two dozen other story suggestions went unanswered by the China Desk–in one case a story was approved, but the editor told me Wang had overruled him. A half-dozen emails to Wang pleading to write more for the newspaper went unanswered.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb( Y) I2 O, y& M7 {8 [
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。$ @" C) h( S3 M+ h
It certainly was not about money. Following my departure,Wang hired a spate of new young reporters, many apparently from the mainland.And if there were budget problems, why was I chosen to be let go? Obviously,there were newer people at the newspaper than myself. I had been on contract for two years, and wrote my first article for the newspaper in 1990, some 22years ago. And I'd won 10 awards for my reporting for the newspaper, more than any other staff reporter. 7 P) T4 V; z+ f t+ [5.39.217.76 5.39.217.76 W* F7 k; b5 E% P1 }
When I offered to freelance and said I didn't care about the word rate, he hemmed and hawed. When I asked if the newspaper could at least allow me to keep my journalist accreditation with the South China Morning Post,so I could continue to contribute articles to the newspaper, he muttered something about having to think about it. Despite several emails asking about this, he never agreed to do this. And there was no cost in sponsoring me. # k+ K9 u4 }# P公仔箱論壇 ) Q8 ?# A% l( U% ^
When the news came last year that Wang had been appointed the editor-in-chief, I was quite surprised. For one, despite talk of him being a veteran journalist, he had little actual practical experience doing real journalism–far less than a lot of his staff. Wang had worked for the China Daily, done a masters degree in journalism and had gone off to London on a training program, where he worked briefly for the BBC. As far as I know,he never “pounded the sidewalks,” as we American journalists say of a reporter who has spent years roaming around doing interviews.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。: _/ u) g7 \; w' S3 H5 _0 {! V0 P8 j8 s
$ H3 w0 J& s/ a+ T0 k N! w0 `tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbHe'd shown weakness in news judgement on many occasions, but more important, he'd long had a reputation as being a censor of the news, which may be what endeared him to Mr. Robert Kuok, the Malaysian tycoon who owns the newspaper, and his son and daughter, who took turns running the newspaper. # o. x7 Y" x! P: m& r: z2 |1 {5.39.217.76 ; _) [, n; Y- _Talk to anyone on the China reporting team at the South China Morning Post and they'll tell you a story about how Wang has cut their stories, or asked them to do an uninteresting story that was favorable to China.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb9 T, [* B, V. u) |0 n, N" F
5 m! D2 `$ K7 c4 S B$ F5.39.217.76Last November, I traveled to the US on holiday and decided to take a train to meet Geng He, the wife of rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who had snuck past Chinese security guarding their Beijing home with a young son and daughter, making it all the way to Thailand and eventually political asylum in the US.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb; _. o/ c7 Z/ y+ @, o- c, z. L
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During a three-hour interview in a highway Burger King, Ms.Geng gave me unreported details about the harrowing escape through Southeast Asian jungles, much of it in the middle of the night. She cried as she talked about her husband's treatment by brutal security people, and she smiled when she recalled her husband's dedication as a lawyer. Tears fell as she described the difficulties the family was facing in the US.Both children had been seriously affected by the treatment of their father herein China, which included serious torture and forced disappearances for lengthy periods. ' o, r$ \4 _2 U5.39.217.76 9 j% F( L0 v" G! T0 L
An editor expressed interest in the story, but got back tome later in the day to tell me that Wang had spiked it. No reason was given.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb! J2 I" ^7 B. j' S( B% `9 }: f
; u4 ]' i5 v5 |5 f# B; }9 CTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。When I was the second foreign reporter to see Gao during his brief respite from being disappeared, Editor-in-chief Reg Chua and Deputy Editor David Lague had a bitter argument with Wang, who was not keen to run the story. They wanted it on the front page, but Wang wanted it buried inside. They compromised by putting the story inside and cutting it slightly. Gao Zhisheng was obviously on Wang's list of people not to be reported about. * ~7 E! A( I4 e' U 公仔箱論壇* s$ N: e, v. G# A8 |/ t3 O2 D3 a
When the government began its nasty crackdown against rights lawyers and other dissidents last year, that saw people have black hoods thrown over their heads before being stuffed into a car, and then being taken to hidden location, where most endured horrible torture. I saw an unprecedented pattern of intimidation and pain that clearly marked a new and frightening trend and so I suggested a story to the China Desk (David Lague, the deputy editor, was on holiday at the time). The story was immediately rejected by a China Desk editor, who said the newspaper had reported on tortured lawyers already. I wrote a short note saying this was a new and different trend, but I knew it would go unanswered. ' _! B9 r+ X+ Q5 @$ N公仔箱論壇 TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。, B; T8 ?4 b) X6 Y
When David Lague returned weeks later, I submitted the story to him and he immediately said to go ahead. I finished the story, but it sat on China Desk for about three months, a practice I later learned was not uncommon when Wang wanted to let a story shrink in importance. When I wrote to David Lague, he pleaded he no longer had the authority he used to have. Silence of the Dissidents ran three months later, and I went on to win two awards for the story the China Desk tried to kill.3 u& G0 @! ^6 z7 D
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During their time at the newspaper, the two veteran journalists frequently battled fiercely with Mr. Wang over stories, with the daughter of Mr. Robert Kuok, the Malaysian owner of the newspaper, frequently siding with Wang. Insiders say the Kuoks long coddled Wang, believing he had influence in China. - c y" ]( j* ?( d2 l 5 s$ z/ E1 [+ t o6 n J4 |TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Nor was I the only foreign reporter to be pushed out of the newspaper–I follow a long line of foreigners–each with long experience–who saw their contracts allowed to run out by Wang–this way he could plead innocence:You've not been fired, your contract ran out. There are now no foreign reporters working for the South China Morning Post in China–a first in a long while.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb5 m9 B/ o N% W- R1 m
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。% n2 [+ @2 L$ v! S
One good example is the case of former Guangzhou correspondent Leu Siew Ying, a native of Malaysia,who won the European Commission's Lorenzo Natali Grand Prize in 2006 for her reporting on protests in the village of Taishi the previous year. Sheleft the paper in 2007 after disputes with Mr. Wang about following up on Taishi and pressure from the Guangdong authorities.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。+ R, J2 z/ H+ ]- I
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During Wang's time with the newspaper, several foreign editors were offered the job of editor-in-chief, but most left after fighting a losing battle with the former China Daily reporter and member of the Jinlin Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The Kuoks always made it clear where their loyalties lay. 1 R/ t2 j* T) k! A, Z. f' v 公仔箱論壇5 ~! r8 ?% b( n c# A! M
But this is not just a case of foreign reporters being harassed. Talk to just about any one of the excellent Chinese or Hong Kong reporters writing about China for the newspaper, and, if they're willing to talk, they'll quietly tell about Wang spiking perfectly good stories or of being told to write more “positive” articles.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb) M [5 L0 z; K9 @
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It's interesting that the story that finally exposed Wang was one about the mysterious death of June 4 activist Li Wangyang, which barely got coverage in the newspaper. & q( ^ u+ X! L6 ]TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 8 Q! E3 n# p2 a- {. F2 q) U/ o( y/ xAfter a sub on the desk questioned this gap in the newspaper's reporting, about a story that other Hong Kong media had jumped on eagerly, Wang curtly told the sub off. “I don't have to explain to you anything. I made the decision and I stand by it. If you don't like it, you know what to do.” 1 h5 H; H: w! jTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 / o7 G. v) E* f9 O( K' }, ZWhen the news gained international attention, and his own reporters signed a letter asking for an explanation, a worried Wang responded with a statement to staff that he decided to run the story as a brief on the first day because he felt the newspaper didn't have enough hard facts for a full story.5.39.217.76( F+ {- p% K- @' L& n/ m
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。. T z9 W, D) v+ b0 N) q5 [8 U( z2 [) j
But what Wang failed to say was that the newspaper had in fact run a much longer story on Li's death in its first edition and that Wang had chosen to yank it, shave it down to a brief for the next edition, and replace it with an article about former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui and a conversation he had with a group of students–a story that had already run two days earlier. What few have noticed, is that self-censorship is not the only problem. Possibly more worrying is the newspaper's new-found proclivity under Wang to publish dubious stories that reflect Beijing's views.5.39.217.76; v: Y4 v2 Y; `" [; h1 \6 B# p7 t
- ~* h6 F* U8 l. F7 \TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Earlier this year, deputy editor Tammy Tam gushed like a high school girl in a story about the Chinese Panchen Lama, asking only one serious question of a person who has never appeared in the Western media before. Eric X. Li, a well-known apologist for China,has been writing regular columns for the South China Morning Post. In one recent article he slapped Hong Kong citizens on the wrist for not welcoming mainland women to have their babies in the territory,and then wondering aloud if a people like this deserved the right to vote. Last week came a story by Professor Jiang Shigong, deputy director of Peking University's Centre for Hong Kong and Macau Studies, that claimed “Hongkongers accept Beijing's rule.” $ e1 ?, D* z2 q, F( l) YTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 公仔箱論壇5 w& j1 u) L/ q& J; T" _ g; T
In his own weekly commentary, Wang had egg on his face after predicting that disgraced Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai had escaped any serious trouble. “Firstly, Bo's political career looks safe for now and he has apparently managed to push back the pressure from his opponents within the party,” Wang wrote just before Bo fell hard.5.39.217.76" Y3 W9 {8 A' j- b4 v
' F! e$ @1 R7 x+ Itvb now,tvbnow,bttvbAnother article described Tibetans in Lhasa happily celebrating the Tibetan New Year, with quotes coming from one unidentified “middle-aged Tibetan man.” Meanwhile, more objective reports were reporting a dire situation in the Tibetan area. The article read like a China Daily story. 3 y9 p. I0 }7 U# O3 e. `- ztvb now,tvbnow,bttvb , P; x" u7 x: {) |0 ^5 }
While the South China Morning Post continues to publish good critical reportage on China, the newspaper no longer has the status it had in the late 1990s, or more recently under three years direction under Mr. Chua and Lague, when the newspaper made great advances.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 A3 a/ f8 a5 `9 A( {1 B
G# O3 ]: J1 y! \5 K8 b5.39.217.76Under Wang's stewardship, the newspaper has lost credibility with Hong Kong and international readers and is now often the butt of jokes in the local Chinese media there. Sadly, the South China Morning Post, which has a history of more than 100 years, may be beyond the point of return. With credibility and morale at the newspaper sagging, and controversies on the rise, competent journalists will now be reluctant to join the newspaper, and it can only sink deeper into mediocrity. The prospects for English-language journalism in Hong Kong is not good and this is sad.
