Comments on: When news isn’t news… and then it is http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/ China and Other things Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:09:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: laowailady http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-62093 laowailady Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:48:56 +0000 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-62093 "Surely not." Surely Black and White Cat has worked at state media long enough to realise that this is surely true? The first story on CCTV9 during the recent spat of reports about the drought was a dull fact-free ramble from a reporter looking at dry farmland. The next day, the bulletins were chock-full of 'government at all levels goes all out to fight drought' stuff. There's no way CCTV was not aware that was coming... Love the photo! Wen Bao Bao saving millions of hectares of wheat with a garden hose. Look folks! Here's what you have been doing wrong all along.. “Surely not.” Surely Black and White Cat has worked at state media long enough to realise that this is surely true? The first story on CCTV9 during the recent spat of reports about the drought was a dull fact-free ramble from a reporter looking at dry farmland. The next day, the bulletins were chock-full of ‘government at all levels goes all out to fight drought’ stuff. There’s no way CCTV was not aware that was coming…

Love the photo! Wen Bao Bao saving millions of hectares of wheat with a garden hose. Look folks! Here’s what you have been doing wrong all along..

]]> By: Gregor http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61932 Gregor Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:22:49 +0000 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61932 You might be interested in a talk and discussion this weekend at Utopia / 乌有之乡: 旱灾、水利与中国农业的出路 http://www.wyzxsx.com/Article/Class1/200902/69171.html You might be interested in a talk and discussion this weekend at Utopia / 乌有之乡: 旱灾、水利与中国农业的出路 http://www.wyzxsx.com/Article/Class1/200902/69171.html

]]> By: The Worst Drought in 50 Years | ChinaGeeks http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61903 The Worst Drought in 50 Years | ChinaGeeks Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:22:20 +0000 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61903 [...] though today it’s headline news (as it has been for the past few days). What gives? Blogger Black and White Cat is wondering too: Droughts aren’t like most other kinds of disaster. They don’t usually happen [...] […] though today it’s headline news (as it has been for the past few days). What gives? Blogger Black and White Cat is wondering too: Droughts aren’t like most other kinds of disaster. They don’t usually happen […]

]]> By: Interested Party http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61883 Interested Party Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:00:39 +0000 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61883 With the desert encroaching on, or actually even in, Northern China, this situation has been seen as a big problem for quite some time and is the background to the current story. Perhaps it is just because of this winter's extremely low rainfall & its corresponding huge effect on grain. The background situation has certainly received coverage before & has been an issue since the 1950s. The current reports about the drought also follow on from the coverage of the drought in SW China last year (1). (Northern) China's use of water is unsustainable (exemplified by the Olympics - 2), but to some extent understandable: according to the Guardian (3) " Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs and author of China's Water Crisis ... said the northern half of China had over 40% of the country's population, more than 50% of the arable land and much industry due to its coal reserves – yet less than 20% of the nation's water." Solutions have been in the pipeline for some time, such as desalination plants (4) or the "network of tunnels and canals from Tibet to supply arid and thirsty regions" (5), perhaps trying to resurrect memories of people harnessing nature e.g. Red Flag Canal in Henan or Chinese imperial grandeur e.g. the Grand Canal. Other countries have been worried about China's thirst, such as India (6) who feared that China would divert rivers that they rely on. Unfortunately I don't think much has come of the Economist's 'modest proposal' (7) to increase tariffs despite involving no need to consume babies (8). 1. Drought threatens 1.5 million in southwest China reported in the NZ Herald 27 Feb 2007 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10426073. 2. Beijing 'running out of water' Daily Telegraph 27 Jun 2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/2206744/Beijing-running-out-of-water.html. 3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/04/china-drought-wheat-crop 4. Polluted, drought-stricken China eyes sea water China Daily 2007-06-13 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-06/13/content_893710.htm 5. £21bn pipe will draw water 3,000 miles The Times August 2, 2006 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article696942.ece 6. Millions live in fear that China aims to steal their river The Times November 20, 2006 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article642349.ece 7. A modest proposal: China should liberalise water pricing The Economist Oct 26th 2006 http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RDRGRPJ 8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal With the desert encroaching on, or actually even in, Northern China, this situation has been seen as a big problem for quite some time and is the background to the current story. Perhaps it is just because of this winter’s extremely low rainfall & its corresponding huge effect on grain. The background situation has certainly received coverage before & has been an issue since the 1950s. The current reports about the drought also follow on from the coverage of the drought in SW China last year (1).

(Northern) China’s use of water is unsustainable (exemplified by the Olympics - 2), but to some extent understandable: according to the Guardian (3) ” Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs and author of China’s Water Crisis … said the northern half of China had over 40% of the country’s population, more than 50% of the arable land and much industry due to its coal reserves – yet less than 20% of the nation’s water.”

Solutions have been in the pipeline for some time, such as desalination plants (4) or the “network of tunnels and canals from Tibet to supply arid and thirsty regions” (5), perhaps trying to resurrect memories of people harnessing nature e.g. Red Flag Canal in Henan or Chinese imperial grandeur e.g. the Grand Canal. Other countries have been worried about China’s thirst, such as India (6) who feared that China would divert rivers that they rely on. Unfortunately I don’t think much has come of the Economist’s ‘modest proposal’ (7) to increase tariffs despite involving no need to consume babies (8).

1. Drought threatens 1.5 million in southwest China reported in the NZ Herald 27 Feb 2007 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10426073.
2. Beijing ‘running out of water’ Daily Telegraph 27 Jun 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/2206744/Beijing-running-out-of-water.html.
3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/04/china-drought-wheat-crop
4. Polluted, drought-stricken China eyes sea water China Daily 2007-06-13 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-06/13/content_893710.htm
5. £21bn pipe will draw water 3,000 miles The Times August 2, 2006 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article696942.ece
6. Millions live in fear that China aims to steal their river The Times November 20, 2006 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article642349.ece
7. A modest proposal: China should liberalise water pricing The Economist Oct 26th 2006 http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RDRGRPJ
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal

]]> By: China Journal : Best of the China Blogs: February 9 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61761 China Journal : Best of the China Blogs: February 9 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:26:46 +0000 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61761 [...] withering drought: As officials turn to rain cannons, one blogger wonders why the situation suddenly became news. [China Bystander/Black and White [...] […] withering drought: As officials turn to rain cannons, one blogger wonders why the situation suddenly became news. [China Bystander/Black and White […]

]]> By: Josh http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61754 Josh Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:05:40 +0000 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61754 Interesting observation, not sure why I didn't see that before. Why not report the worst drought in a decade? I would venture to guess that regardless of why the government waits until now to share the news, they've got to be happy that Premier Wen's picture is splashed along with it. All Chinese take comfort in any disaster dealt with by Wen Jiabao, or so it seems. Interesting observation, not sure why I didn’t see that before. Why not report the worst drought in a decade?

I would venture to guess that regardless of why the government waits until now to share the news, they’ve got to be happy that Premier Wen’s picture is splashed along with it. All Chinese take comfort in any disaster dealt with by Wen Jiabao, or so it seems.

]]> By: Bill http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61656 Bill Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:49:13 +0000 http://www.blackandwhitecat.org/2009/02/09/when-news-isnt-news-and-then-it-is/#comment-61656 Or, may be, a situation is only news when the government needs one to distract people from some real problems, or it is a good excuse for some future problems - like starvation. Or, may be, a situation is only news when the government needs one to distract people from some real problems, or it is a good excuse for some future problems - like starvation.

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