Hong Kong: TVB's beaten journalists and brave new voice

Widespread anger over the recent beating up and detention of three Hong Kong journalists as they reported on ethnic unrest in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region came to a head this weekend with a high profile protest outside the Chinese central government liaison office in Hong Kong.

Of the three journalists, two represented Hong Kong television broadcaster TVB; referred to by many as CCTVB for its tendency to self-harmonize, the strong condemnation delivered by Cantonese-language channel TVB Jade of the way the journalists were treated spurred certain criticism and ridicule online, and the antagonistic stance taken towards the mainland Chinese authorities in recent days struck some as such a shift in character as to seem hypocritical; as written on the Libertines Pub:

…having a biased broadcaster to condemn others for presenting diverted facts is certainly a bit irritating.

Let's support our journalists in their protest against the violence to the media; but let's not overlook the hypocrisy of TVB News.

Hong Kong-based Stone Ip blogger Mr. Shek (石先生) shared a similar point of view in his post looking at the situation:

無線新聞對旗下記者於新疆被扣捕事件作出詳細報導,時間達 9:08。近年被稱為 CCTVB 的無線新聞部,這次的做法到底對洗脫 CCTVB 的稱號有幫助,還是最終令 CCTVB 成為絡印,真的要惜目以待。

P.S. 請留意一點,事件發生至今,無線電視 及 相關人士 並沒有發出任何形式的回應,回應均來自 無線新聞 新聞報導時段 中的無線電視新聞部。這個做法到底是正常做法,是集體負責,還是有人避免出面以影響未來,請自行考量。

TVB news spent nine minutes and eight seconds on a detailed reporting of the detention of their journalists in Xinjiang. Time will tell if this handling method of TVB News, called CCTVB in recent years, will help taking away the “CC” from their name.

P.S. Please note that so far no comments in any forms were made by TVB or its related personnel. All the comments were within the framework of the news reports. I am not sure if this is a normal practice, a showing of collective responsibility, or that somebody does not want to be affected in future for coming out.

A mainland Twitter user going by the handle @feifei1028 also tweeted:

TVB大篇幅報道記者被打,難道從此TVB就不會是CCTVB了嗎?

For their extensive report on their journalists being beaten, TVB would be CCTVB no more?

Reader Charles of the blog A Plastic Everyday – the Absurd Hong Kong commented:

做CCTVB的結果也不見得好...港人叫你CCTVB,你以為你已“入贅”姓共,有保險。傻啦,遲早被真姓“共”的“剷”著,橫死收場。投共從來沒有好結果...逗人工做報導而被毆打的記者,我們要同情並聲援。投共的傳媒,要鬧。

We don't see a good ending for being CCTVB…You think that you're within the family of the communists and will be safe for having the Hong Kong people call you CCTVB? Don't be silly, you will be tortured till death by the real communists sooner or later. There is always no good ending for submitting to the communists…We need to support and sympathize with the journalists who get paid for reporting. But we certainly need to condemn the broadcaster which submitted themselves to the communists.

1 comment

  • During my recent trip to HK and its mainland neighbours, I discovered to my astonishment the degree of similarity in the “tones” of news and opinions between HK media and her northern kins. Having been accustomed to dissenting views on just about anything in the public arena, my shock is obviously not unreasonable. It’s true that the China influence has extended its sphere to many overseas Chinese bases. B it is unnecessary for media operating in democratic societies to put aside their social responsibilities and exercise self-censorship either to please or avoid infuriating the thuggery Chinese government. There are a great majority of Chinese-speaking people victimized by the totalitarian regime virtually yon daily basis. They certainly deserve to be represented in the free media.

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