Asean media urged to practice ‘peaceful, constructive journalism’

By: Dennis Atienza Maliwanag - 10 years ago

Asean journalists listen to Ash Sutcliffe (center), public relations officer of Geely, during a meeting at the Chinese automaker’s head office in Hangzhou City. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

BEIJING — A Communication University of China official has urged Asean journalists to promote “constructive and peaceful journalism” amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Liu Chang, dean of School of Journalism at the Chinese state university, said the media should not foment discord but serve as a channel for better understanding and cooperation.

Liu, however, said his communication paradigm should not be seen as transforming media groups into a propaganda machine churning out deodorized news and information.

Instead, he told journalists and media executives from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that when reporting conflicts, journalists should also be able to offer solutions.

China and at least two Asean members–the Philippines and Vietnam–remain locked in territorial disputes over the South China Sea.

Beijing seeks to allay fears in Asean as it strengthens its economic and military clout in the region. One way to do this, an official said, is for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage in what it calls “e-public diplomacy.”

From August 30 to September 6, 20 Southeast Asian journalists and media executives and two officials of the Asean Secretariat joined the China-Asean Journalists Exchange Program held in Beijing and Zhejiang.

The eight-day study tour saw Asean journalists exchanging views with prominent members of the Chinese media, academe, local government officials and executives of leading business groups.

The program was facilitated by Zhu Xiaozhong, deputy director of E-Public Diplomacy Division; Wu Shenghao, first secretary of the Public Diplomay Office; and Tian Qi, information staff of the Public Diplomacy office, all from the foreign affairs ministry.

The Asean member nations—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—are formally integrating as an economic bloc in 2015.