In the internet age, how inconvenient would life be if you were cut off from the internet for a whole day?
What is life like when you are disconnected for a year?
The western Chinese province of Xinjiang was cut off from the internet by the government for a year in 2009 due to riotous actions by ethnic separatists. People were unable to access the internet, talk or text because these played a crucial role in instigating the riots. To this day, “Xinjiang riots” are still sensitive words blocked by media platforms.
source：China Briefing
In China, there are also restrictions on what can be viewed. When overseas films were banned, local Chinese films were also subjected to the same limits: the TV series “The Legend of Wu Mei Niang” was ordered to be modified because the actors wore underage costumes that showed off their ample bust lines.
Comparison of clips (after and before) by culishi.com
Powerful editing turned a high-quality drama with a high-cost production and a superstar cast into a tedious film showing only the actors’ heads. The beautiful costumes and sets of the TV series no doubt cost much capital, but they also have to bow down in the face of policy regulation.
McChesney argues that markets do not bring democracy.
McChesney, R. (2015) ‘The media/democracy paradox’, Rich Media, Poor Democracy. New York: The New Press.
As long as there are financial relationships, media messages will always inevitably be influenced to some extent, and non-profit media is one of the changes that the media industry is seeking to make, and we need such media. There may not be a non-profit media in the total sense of the word in China.
However, there is a media organisation called Narada Insights, a thought-producing station initiated by the Nandu Public Welfare Foundation, which was established in 2007. It invites many experts, scholars, senior media professionals and others to discuss issues about Chinese society in transition and to interpret public social problems from a fair and impartial pluralistic perspective.
Unlike other news platforms filled with commercial advertisements, Narada Insights‘s articles revolve around social issues such as feminism, China’s healthcare system, the education and employment system and domestic violence. These are the topics that people like to hear about.
The original authors of Narada Insights have grown from 75 at the beginning to 181 today. These authors come from all over the world; some are research experts in their fields, using professional theories to explain issues; some are overseas scholars, bringing a Chinese perspective to the world while also looking back at China from an international perspective; there are also media people, educators and public welfare practitioners. It is worth mentioning that last year there were also some young students who, during the epidemic It is worth noting that last year there were also some young students who organised themselves into a lot of public service practice activities during the epidemic, focusing on marginalised groups and providing unique perspectives. These writers are willing to share their experiences and reflections with readers in Narada Insights to disseminate appropriate and valuable content to the public and to stimulate more sparks to promote the democratic process.
The advantage of non-profit media is that it can be more objective, neutral, conscientious, and warm. This is why the slogan of Narada Insights is “100,000 reasons for Chinese society”.
Perhaps these are where the Chinese people inside the Berlin Wall have a respite.