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'Cut the cadres', Chinese media told
By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- News reports about the activities of Chinese leaders may be abbreviated to a mere one-line heading if reforms begun by Communist party General Secretary Hu Jintao run their course. Several provincial and municipal newspapers have given the news heading treatment to run-of-the-mill activities and speeches by regional leaders such as provincial governors or mayors. The official China News Service on Thursday quoted the party secretary of coastal Fujian Province, Song Defu, as saying that major provincial papers should become "more lively" by carrying less lengthy reports about official events. In a meeting of media cadres, Song said what was most important was running stories that the masses were interested in reading and watching. Fujian Governor Lu Zhangong said heading news items were good because "important contents are summarized in a few phrases and they are easy to remember." "Very few people will read long-winded reports about the routine activities of leaders," Lu added. Media analysts in Beijing said so far the new approach had been followed in a number of regional papers and TV newscasts. Making it relevent
However, they said party chief Hu had last year indicated in a private meeting that the main newscasts of CCTV should also cut down on footage devoted to the run-of-the-mill activities and speeches of central-level leaders such as Politburo members. Hu reportedly said that CCTV and other mainstream media should run more stories with a direct bearing on the livelihood of the masses. Other leaders have spoken out on boosting the supervisory functions of the media. For example, Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao recently praised an expose on the messy and corruption-prone taxi business carried by the China Economic Times. Earlier this month, Wen, set to become premier in March, ordered an investigation into the ownership and operations of taxis in Beijing and other cities. A Beijing-based newspaper editor said, however, that the media still needed the approval of party authorities before they could carry material on corrupt officials with ranks above that of vice-minister or vice-governor.
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