China: Self-censorship at the Wall Street Journal
The Chinese online edition of the Wall Street Journal looks almost exactly like a translated version of the English website. But there is one key difference: commentary and news critical of China are largely absent.
In order not to upset Beijing, the Wall Street Journal censors itself. Comments critical of the regime that were published on the newspaper's English website are nowhere to be found on the Chinese site. "Sometimes, for example on the founding day of the People's Republic of China on October 1, the Chinese online edition of the Wall Street Journal even comes across as well-behaved and statist, as if it were published by the Communist Party itself," according to an article in the Tagesanzeiger on Friday. On the occasion of the holiday, photos of marching soldiers and Chinese flags could be seen, but no critical comments on the pompous military parade. Even some Chinese-owned newspapers, and in particular the online edition of the Financial Times, were more courageous, the article continued.
The Murdoch employees in Asia did not want to comment. However, when Rupert Murdoch expressed an interest in buying the Wall Street Journal in 2007, the foreign correspondents based in China protested against the takeover in an open letter. In this letter, they wrote that Murdoch had sacrificed his journalistic integrity to satisfy his political and personal goals.
The Murdoch employees in Asia did not want to comment. However, when Rupert Murdoch expressed an interest in buying the Wall Street Journal in 2007, the foreign correspondents based in China protested against the takeover in an open letter. In this letter, they wrote that Murdoch had sacrificed his journalistic integrity to satisfy his political and personal goals.
