Taking It to the Screens

As shots of the neighborhood flash on the screen, the commentator explains that protesters feel complaints have fallen on deaf ears in the government. So, they have taken matters into their own hands. Never mind that some 80 families left their homes on the site when they were promised new apartments in the high-rise.

Cut back to the site. The camera zooms in for a close-up of a sad-faced guard who has an arm in a sling. A reporter asks, "What happened to you?"

Guard: "They rushed onto the site, I couldn't do anything. One used a stick to hit my arm. I went to the hospital: my arm is severely bruised."

Reporter: "Are you afraid the protesters will come back?"

The guard pauses. "No," he offers. But his face tells another story.

This is a scene from Beijing Express (Beijing Tekuai), a 20-minute show that airs four times weekly on Beijing Television. It is devoted to Chinese law -- what it means and how it is implemented. Wildly popular, Express offers insight into modern life in the People's Republic.

In this case, the Third Construction Company, having found the police unresponsive, had called Express, hoping for a resolution. Express responded with coverage.

The show focuses mainly on economic crime but it tackles other social issues too. Counterfeiting, petty corruption, bribery -- its perpetrators all come under Express's scrutiny. The program can often be uproariously funny: street-smart reporters beleaguer the alleged law-breakers. On occasion, it offers the triumph of revenge on the little cheaters on Beijing's streets. At other times, it leaves viewers in awe of their shamelessness.

Take the case of the vendors who peddle counterfeit cigarettes. Express decided to confront them in their stands. As cameras drew up, one saleswoman slammed the cover of her booth shut, locking herself in. The reporter then approached another vendor: "What is the risk you run [by selling counterfeits]?"

"The police can take away your license for a year. But if my license is suspended," the vendor shrugged, "I will simply do something else."

Express is one of many like-minded shows. Several big Chinese networks have programs that concentrate on clarifying the meaning of law and its consequences. Beijing TV also airs Jingcheng Muji (The Capital's Eyewitness). Shehui Jingwei (Guide on Society) and Jiaodian Fangtan (Interview Focus) both run on China Central TV (CCTV).

"I like Beijing Express," says Liang Liqiang, a local taxi driver. "It is made from the ordinary people's point of view. If I had a social problem -- I am not talking about clear-cut crime -- I would maybe rather call Express than the police." Liang is in good company. In a recent newspaper poll, some 15% of respondents said that they would now go to the media to air problems, whereas in the past, they asked Party secretaries to mediate conflicts. Law enforcement agencies are often a tangle of bureaucracy, and citizens complain about not knowing which authorities to appeal to. The media, on the other hand, are easy to approach; public exposure of problems often presses authorities to act; and, hey, being on TV is prestigious.

"The idea for this program came from Beijing TV," says Du Xing, Express's producer. "But we developed it according to the needs and guidelines of the authorities." Guide on Society's vice director, Yin Li, offers, "Nobody had to give us the idea. [The show] has to assist in the development of our country. This is the main task of our TV station and we know our task."

In the past, says Guide on Society's Yin, "Chinese people were too poor to care about the law. Clothes and food were more important." But now, as the nation's economy improves, citizens care about their society's development. Says Yin, "Our telephone rings from morning until evening."

The Third Construction Company, for one, is glad it called Express. The coverage put authorities into action and now the families who were promised apartments have been assured that construction will proceed -- with police support, if necessary. The grateful company and future high-rise residents will present Express with a banner. It celebrates their victory.