Newsweek delivers a meaty slice

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By Brendan John Worrell (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-08-01 11:55

In the current edition of Newsweek that sees hurdler Liu Xiang on the cover, one finds the lead article written by Orville Schell who argues that now is not a good time for China bashing.

Better late than never – but still...

Regretfully, for all his good intentions, the framing of the article is such that the message of goodwill gets lost.

His piece ends up becoming part of a greater text that does exactly what he said shouldn't be done - it serves to stick the boot into the back when what China really is entitled to is a helping or welcoming hand.

Schell, a PhD in Chinese History, former Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, is the current Arthur Ross Director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society. His life work has done a lot to promote China US relations and build bridges of understanding.

Nevertheless many will misread the title, "China's Agony of Defeat", and the subheading, "It's impossible to understand what the Games mean to the Chinese without understanding their history of humiliation."

Then inside other subheadings such as, "What drives China - the roots of a national inferiority complex" and, "China - pride protest and the Olympics" create a mood less complimentary.

The magazine's content creators even go further running a series of photos, all negative in their connotations. We see an image of last week's ticket mayhem implying Beijinger's are chaotic; then another grey sky day with the heading, "Travelers put off by visas and pollution"; to 5 other photos that exploit more recent events involving security, minority groups, resident relocations and affairs in Sudan.

These issues are complex though suffer in the reductionism that only offers one side of the story.

Intrigued at Newsweek's style of delivery many readers have already hit the comment button and the bulletin board is now witness to a huge debate among pro, anti and rational centrists regarding all things China and the US.

It's a business and magazines in the western world have been suffering declining sales the last few years with many well established publications closing shop. Dramatic journalism sells - no doubt about it.

This Newsweek issue is slated for printed release on August 4 so one assumes it gives sales and marketing staff time to assess the relative appeal of the content by first trialing it out on web audiences several days in advance.

Undoubtedly it has certainly got people talking and should sell like hotcakes. It probably appeals to those who are currently overwhelmed by the US economic downturn and short sighted enough to associate it with China's improving economic performance.

One wonders however if the author of the lead article will feel regret at the style of delivery the magazine designers adopted.

I'm certain in his post as Director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society he will be brought to account and made to further clarify his position in regards to the Newsweek feature.

Otherwise some may be constrained to conclude that Schell's days as an exchange student at the National Taiwan University in the 1960s served to mould a more 'reactionary China expert' than one would have first perceived judging by his outstanding academic achievements and distinguished professional record.