Google News and the PRC
29 09 2004Google have blogged a very interesting piece on their GoogleBlog today, which relates to the excellent Google News, and it’s chinese implementation. I have to admit to being fascinated by China, the country, it’s economic revolution currently taking place, it’s size, and it’s political control over it’s people. Some of this fascination comes from a fear of what might be in say 5 or 10 years when China really does become a world super-power.
As many people know, China censors media / internet access for it’s people, the government decideing what they do and don’t want their people to know, and quite often distorting the truth that does get through to their people. In their blog entry, Google speak of how they had to take the decision not to include sources that are inaccessible from within China to appear in the Google News China site. This would appear to be a very difficult decision for Google to make, for the obvious reasons.
The Google Team’s opinions on this are well worth a read if you have a moment
DJ- After reading your bit on China I find it refreshing to know you have a stand on politics, even China’s. After finally checking things out on your site, I have a feeling that our future discussions will be rather interesting when you find out that I am in fact, a Bush supporter. This however has nothing to do with my comments about your China blog. I find it interesting that you wrote the following:
“As many people know, China censors media / internet access for it’s people, the government decideing what they do and don’t want their people to know, and quite often distorting the truth that does get through to their people.” It seems China is just a little more obvious about this practice than other countries that are already considered to be a Super Power. I am of course referring to both your neck of the woods, and my own (for those of you that don’t know me, yes I am an American). It seems that with each person I talk to, the influence of the media is not only apparent in their views but downright blinding, somewhat reminiscent of WWII propaganda films. Now this is not the government doing so, but in fact the media themselves using their own political beliefs to censor, edit and air what they decide they want people to see. I am frankly disgusted with the amounts of partial stories I see, followed by a quote or a photo of the one thing that would have made that moment negative, when in fact the entire picture may have seemed positive to the viewer. When I speak to someone from your area, I hear that I need a proper news source such as the BBC, as I must be hand fed my news. It seems that other parts of the world are under the impression that Americans never see the bad parts of the war. I in fact believe that it is the opposite, they never see the positive parts. I watch the BBC, and I am curious as to why a proper news source would choose not to report such things as the UN’s involvement in the Food for Oil scandal. I have to believe this is because the liberal media chooses not to put the UN in a negative light ever, as it would reinforce Bush’s claim that UN inspectors were not doing their jobs. That there was in fact a REAL reason why Germany, France and Russia was against an invasion. Most of your readers will say “food for what?” This scares me. After doing research it seems that the countries that were accusing the U.S. of having oil interests in Iraq were in fact the only countries who has ever had their hands saturated with it. Sadly, at the cost of Iraqi lives through lack of medicine and food. I suggest you all Google it. I have yet to see anything on BBC,CNN, MSNBC or many other of the American affiliates, anything but the negative side of the war or other U.S. politics. I have to say, I find it terrifying that the largest media influence on a staggering number of people currently, is a man who would do anything and everything to make his own government and/or country look like criminals. I am of course referring to Michael Moore who seems to be the largest (pardon the big, fat pun) influence on political judgment in every country but his own. He has hand fed his own paranoid political turmoil to a large part of the world, and people bought it. I will say that as an American I had the pleasure of seeing the complete versions of many of the speeches and moments that Moore edited and pieced together, completely changing context. I am disgusted that people are so close-minded as to digest and regurgitate faster than an Olsen twin, the complete lies and propaganda he has created. I look forward to the film he releases explaining that only blonde/blue people should mate. I will be all set, I am not sure about the rest of you. I have my eyes set on Brad Pitt. He and I will make great, fat, pure babies together. I digress. I am trying to say that it isn’t at all a suprise that China is hand fed news, when other countries that consider themselves politically savvy, are not only hand fed but it has to be masticated first. - Kitryn Ellis, USA
Kit,
As I have stated offline, I am bowled over by your response and views. I can’t say that I necessarily agree personally with a lot of your thinkings (Kit has some very strong pro-Bush arguments), but it’s refreshing to hear an educated American making sense in politics and life in general. Yes, I know there’s a lot of you out there, but unfortunately, European (and probably International) opinion of American’s is clouded by the stereotypical, un-cultured, un-traveled, Mc Donald’s loving yank. Does that make us feel superior to American people, hell yes. Is this right, hell no! America is currently THE world super-power, but, to the average European, this is a frightening thought when you consider that GWB is leading this nation.
I digress from the arguments put forward in this particular article however, given I’ve just read a very pro-Bush email from you, perhaps I will comment on that further online at a later stage. As for your views on how people have their opinions shaped by the media, I whole-heartaldy agree with this. Thankfully, over this part of the world we do not have the draconian censure that the PRC government impose on it’s people, however, I do agree that quite a lot of what we see is being spoon-fed by the relevant editors.
BBC news is a fantastic news source, always getting to the right places at the right time, and carrying a lot of clout to get to places and stories that quite a lot of other news organisations cannot reach. However, I certainly feel that when it comes to political issues, the BBC are very slow to criticise the British government, and very quick to criticise the Bush administration. I do not treat any one news source as gospel. I have written on occasion before about Google News, to me, THE best news resource on the internet. Why? The answer is easy, Google News is a computer algorithm that selects it’s news from random sources on the internet without any human intervention. Therefore, for any given story, you can be reading news from RTÉ, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, Al Jazeera or Fox etc. The important thing to remember is to click lots, get the views from the various news sources, and then form your own opinions based on the various opinions and spin presented to you. To take your news from one news source and treat that as how things are, leads to very blinkered opinions.
Of course, we then come upon the scenario, where quite a lot of people in my country, and across the pond in the UK, get their news from the tabloid media. Coming from a background where tabloid rags were never in the house, I am now appalled when I pick up The Sun, or The Star, or The Mirror, and read their articles on the news of the day. How can these people get away with writing what they do, especially given they are the sole news source to quite a large proportion of the nation? This to me is the most frightening aspect of the media in this day and age.
Whilst still on the media, I do have to give a special mention to the excellent Channel 4 news presented by John Snow. This is the most independent and challenging of all the TV news programmes that the general public have in Ireland and the UK. John Snow is an excellent journalist who certainly doesn’t mince his words to appease the politicians, and very often they cover stories that are just too controversial to the BBC and the likes. Another excellent news source of note is of course Al Jazeera. Ok, so, the majority of people in Ireland / UK don’t regularly get their news from Al Jazeera (other than the snippets carried in the general media), but, they are worth the mention, as they have been exposing a lot of the hidden truths from both sides of the Iraq conflict.
Michael Moore fascinates me. I have not seen the films, nor have I read the books (other than excerpts) yet, but I do know he has a very hard-line opinion that cannot be treated as “the way it is”. Ok, he does expose a lot of the bad things about GWB, but you cannot view his work without realising that it as been nicely edited and pieced together as you say. Nor can you however, dismiss it all as a nice little story to knock Bush. A lot of what Michael Moore has to say (from my limited reading) is shockingly true. I suggest you read Zulu Time by Ireland’s very own, and excellent Mark Little. Mark was RTÉ’s first Washington correspondent, and now presents our current affairs programme Prime Time. But, in his book, which was written shortly after his return from Iraq, he writes about the rights and wrongs of Michael Moore’s / the Rest of the World’s opinions of the Bush Administration, and the Bush Administrations view of Michael Moore / the Rest of the World. It really is an excellent read. I do look forward to reading Michael Moore’s works, and watching the film however at some stage in the future.
For now, that’s my piece, I have loads and loads more to say, as I know Kit does, but it being a lazy Sunday afternoon I’m going to give my brain a rest!
I will read what you suggest! I too will have alot more to say especially about Michael Moore. I will just throw in this quote which is one of his many anti-intelligent statements: “You know he’s [Bush] there illegally. You know he was not elected either by the popular vote or by the vote in Florida.” This is something that is a joke in the U.S to anyone who understands voting. The Florida Ballots were recounted by the democrats rquest. Over and over and over. Even with the ballots that they thought were messed up…Bush won. The funny thing that is never mentioned, is that ballots that weren’t counted, were absentee ballots from military service members. SOMEHOW…they didn’t reach the counting on time…hmm…strange condidering you have a very large number of people who were upset by the fact that Clinton had reduced military spending, personel and incentives. Now, these ballots were voted after, placing Bush even further ahead. “Selected not Elected” . . .nice try Michael…you are still just big and fat.
Now, I like your comments about the Illusion of stupidity that America seems to project. I see the same. here and where you are. But, I guess thats a discussion for a not so lazy weekday!!! xxxooo
can u to break this down in to debbie terms plz im way lost on this ..lol
explain all this to me again dj from the start .
This LONG TIME OVERDUE comment…Dj- Name a country (that can afford one) that DOES NOT have a McDonald’s.
Okies hon, I’ve got a bit of a fuzzy head on me this morning, so, excuse me if I’m missing a totally obvious point here…but, WHAT?!
8. That was in reference to your comment… European (and probably International) opinion of American’s is clouded by the stereotypical, un-cultured, un-traveled, Mc Donald’s loving yank. I hate McDonald’s. Isn’t that an Irish name? Where were Dick and Mac from anyway…hmm??
syria doesn’t have a mcdonalds and they’re not poor. they’ve only had coke since last year. syria sucks though.