As U.S. citizens, there are many freedoms and privileges that we take for granted. The 1st Amendment of the U.S. constitution establishes our rights to the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. Unfortunately, not every person in the world has the opportunity to experience these rights. One country that practices government censorship is the People’s Republic of China. On October 26, New York Times journalists Sharon Lafraniere, Michael Wines and Edward Wong wrote the article, “China Reins in Entertainment and Blogging,” which observes how Chinese leaders are proposing and enacting restrictions on access to the media and Internet.
The New York Times article goes on to say that as of January 1, 2012, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television mandated thirty-four major satellite television station to only broadcast two 90-minute entertainment shows per week, and broadcast two hours of state-approved news every day. With the uprisings occurring in Middle East, Northern Africa, and in the United States, it’s no coincidence that China is taking drastic measures to prevent an Arab Spring from blossoming. God forbid they have to deal with another 1989 Tiananmen Square revolt.
Despite these precautions, China’s Communist Party’s Central Committee is mainly focusing on cracking down on all forms of Internet communication. Microblogs appear to be the most popular form among Chinese citizens. These microblogs inform them of gossip, scandals, and other government cover-ups. On November 6, The New York Times published journalist Edward Wong’s article, “Pushing China’s Limits on Web, if Not on Paper.” This article discusses how Chinese censorship affected novelist Murong Xuecun, a radical writer who challenges this form of censorship. One of the themes that Murong Xuecun focuses on is the corrupted tactics practiced in China. He even has a microblog of his own that discusses political issues. According to this article, Xuecun’s blog has 1.1 million followers. It can be easily presumed that this writer isn’t silencing his voice anytime soon. More than 200 million users have been counted in seeing these microblogs. Due to this popular demand, government officials are very hesitant in shutting down microblogs, because it would threaten the stability of the nation. This is a great example of how the power of the people can override the power of government authority.
Despite the controversy that China provokes with its censoring, the country is thriving economically, and it’s only a matter of time in witnessing its inauguration as a world superpower. With the euro crisis in Europe, and the United States still recovering from a recession, it’s interesting to note that the media has been very silent with news over China’s economy. China proves to be an ambitious country that seeks to perfect, if not over ride, the United States, as the world-dominating nation. However, it’s leniency with the right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press remains to be seen.