ThePlightoftheChineseNewspaperReporter"ThereisasayingthatChinesepeopleareafraidofofficials,andofficialsareafraidofforeignreporters,"myfriendYang,awilyreporterforoneofBei激ng'scitynewspapers,toldmeasweweredrivingtodinneroneevening.Thatwaslastspring,wellbeforethegovernment'srecenteffortstointimidateforeignreportersattemptingtocovercallsfora"jasminerevolution,"butithasbeentruealongtime."YouhavethepowerinChina,"hesaid,teasingme.Butamomentlater,afterwe'dpassedaforlorn-lookingcouplewaitingforataxiintherain,hehadaquestionofhisown:"So,theforeignreportersinBei激ngarethesuccessfulones?IthoughtmaybetheyhadalllosttheirjobsinWashington,andsohadtocometoChina."HehadmanagedtosimultaneouslychanneltwooxymoronicviewsoftheforeignpresscorpsinChina--thatwearebothfeared,andlookeddownupon.Yetatthatmoment,Yang,whoworksforastate-runpaper,dearlyenviedus.WhileagreatdealofattentionhaslatelybeenpaidtorestrictionsonforeignpressinChina,amoreinterestinglong-termquestionishowtheroleofChinesejournalistshaslatelyevolved.Contrarytocommonstereotypes,thereportersthemselves,asdistinctfromthesysteminwhichtheyfindthemselves,arehardlyunblinkingtoadies.Yang,easilyoneofthemostastutepeopleIknow,exemplifieswhatitmeanstodailywalkthetightropeactofbeinganinquisitivemindinsideaclosedsystem.SoonwestoppedatalittleSichuan-stylerestaurant,poorlylitandwithCelineDionmusicpipedinthroughsputteringloudspeakers.IaskedYang,whoisinhisearly30sandataboutsixfeettalltowersovermostcolleagues,whyhehadwantedtobecomeajournalist."Itwasalwaysmydream,"hesaidmatter-of-factly,asifthequestionhardlydeservedasking.Whywouldn'thismotivationbethesameasmine,anAmericanjournalist?"Iwantedtolearnmanycuriositiesandtotraveltheworld."Inthepast,thegovernmentfullysubsidizedallnewspapersinChina,fromtradepaperslikeFarmersDailyandTourismDaily,tomainstreamlocalandnationalnewspapers,toEnglish-languagetitle(likeJamesFallows'sownfavoritenewspaper,ChinaDaily).Propagandainthepurestsense,thenewspaperswerefreetoentirelyignoretheirreaders'preferencesoropinions,printingonlydirectivesfromcentralauthorities.Then,about10yearsago,inthemidstoflarge-scalerestructuringofmanystate-ownedindustriesinChina,Bei激ngtookstepstopartiallyweanpapersfromthegovernmentteat.(Afewnewpublicationswithprivatebackingcroppedupaboutthistime,includingthefeistynewsmagazineCai激ng.)Withlessfunding,somepapersshrunk,butothersopted--forfinancialreasons--topaycloserattentiontowhattheirreaderswanted,hopingtosellmorepaidsubscriptionsandboostadvertising.TakingamorecommercialapproachinChinahasgenerallymeantoneoftwothings:morephotosofsemi-nudegirlsandsensationalizedgossipystories,ormoreinsightfulreportingandmeaningful---本文来源于网络，仅供参考，勿照抄，如有侵权请联系删除---content.Athispaper,Yangwasanadvocateforthelatter.Comparedto,say,adecadeago,he'sseensomepromisingsignsofanevolution.(KeepinmindtherelativebaselineisChinaofthepast,notAmerica,pastorpresent.)TakecoverageofthedevastatingMay2008earthquakeinChina'swesternSichuanprovince,whichthecurrenttragedyinJapanbringstomind.Atfirst,Yangtoldme,thegovernmenthadissuednoticetoallnewspapersnottosendreporterstothequakesite;thiswassimilartothepolicyafterthe1976Tangshanearthquake,whendomesticreportingonthequake'saftermathwasallbutnonexistent.Yetin2008,"inmass,wewentanyway."ManynewspapersusedthefactofPremierWen激abao'svisittotheregionasanexcuset...