Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
Mediacheck
Rights + Justice
Media

China 2.0: The New Digital Superpower

Tonight: Veteran journalist Ying Chan on business growth, censorship and cyberspying at free event.

Tyee Staff 27 Feb 2014TheTyee.ca

This article was adapted from a piece provided by UBC's Public Affairs Bureau. Prof. Ying Chan is serving as this year's Visiting Professor at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism and will be giving a free public talk, "China 2.0: The New Digital Superpower," tonight, Thursday, Feb. 27, at the SFU Harbour Centre Campus. Learn more here.

image atom
Ying Chan: Despite government clampdowns, 'journalists and the public will find smart ways to cope.'

With apps like WeChat registering more than 78.6 million users, China represents one of the fastest growing digital landscapes on our planet. But what is allowed to be said, who is snooping on the conversation, and how are free speech advocates pushing back against government censorship? Journalist and visiting professor from Hong Kong University, Ying Chan, will speak about China's digital future tonight (Thursday, Feb. 27) at a free event sponsored by the UBC Graduate School of Journalism, held at SFU Harbour Centre (details here).

Ying, an award-winning Chinese-American journalist who exposed "snakehead" fraudsters while covering the immigration beat for the New York Daily News, has also worked for Chinese publications, and was central to the historic 1996 libel lawsuit by a Taiwanese Kuomintang official, which has been hailed as one of the milestones in press freedom in Asia. From her vantage now at Hong Kong University, she is well placed to discuss the emerging digital landscape in China -- including business opportunities, challenges with censorship and cyberspying, and the roles of companies like Alibaba and Tencent. The Q&A below was supplied by the University of British Columbia's Public Affairs Bureau.

Do you see China emerging as the new world digital superpower?

"China is already a digital superpower. The sheer size of the Chinese digital economy has made the country a leading producer and consumer of digital products. At the end of 2013, Chinese Internet users numbered 618 million -- more than 45 per cent of the population. About 500 million people use some form of social media as many leapfrog to access the Internet via mobile devices, bypassing desktop and laptop computers."

With so many users, how is social media changing the journalism landscape in China?

"Social media, while heavily censored, have created space for public expression and a platform for the creation of independent online media. In China, reporters and editors could be fired or jailed for doing their job and telling the truth. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, China remains one of the world's worst jailers of journalists. As of Dec. 1, 2013, 32 journalists were in jail in China. 

Will we continue to see a growing number of Internet users and emerging digital platforms? What will this mean for journalists? What will this mean for businesses in the West?

"In 2014, mobile media will take centre stage as the platform for journalism innovation and experimentation. For Chinese media, the debate on print vs. digital will finally be put to rest as media owners and managers scramble to find ways to transform legacy, or traditional, media and expand digital.

"While the government will continue to clamp down on expression and dissent, journalists and the public will find smart ways to cope. Digital tools and outlets will multiply, offering an ever-growing space for expression. Internet behemoths like Tencent and Alibaba will expand outside China along with state-owned party media. Opportunities are opening up for those who are bold enough to take on the high risks of investing in China's media." 

You have been a journalist for over three decades. What is the one story you are proudest of?

"In 1996, I collaborated with a journalist in Taiwan to report on proposed illegal contributions from Taiwan to former U.S. president Bill Clinton's election campaign.

"After our story appeared in a Hong Kong weekly news magazine, we were sued for criminal libel by the Kuomintang, Taiwan's then-ruling party. I organized a campaign against the suit and won with the help of supporters around the globe. The court's decision has set a precedent for Taiwan by establishing that journalists would not be at risk for libel if they could prove 'good intent' in their reporting."  [Tyee]

Read more: Rights + Justice, Media

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Do You Think Naheed Nenshi Will Win the Alberta NDP Leadership Race?

Take this week's poll