Is Chinese President Xi amassing power? Media reporting with drama instead of facts. | The Knife Media

(The Knife Media) The CCP changed its constitution, and media coverage used sensational language and selective quotes portraying President Xi and the party as amassing more power. However, only some outlets include specifics about what might change after this policy shift, which is more informative. Still, this data may be colored by the sensationalist tone throughout.

Sensational language

Here are examples of the dramatic, alarmist, or subjective language (in italic) that’s used to describe Xi’s policy change:

“ThehistoricdecisionbolstersPresident Xi’s political position as China’smost powerfulleader in decades, and makes itharderfor rivals tochallengehim and his policies.” (The New York Times)

“‘It’s thecoronationofEmperorXi,’ says Prof. Nick Bisley, an Asia expert at Australia’s La Trobe University. ‘He iswithout questiontheparamountleader and one with aremarkably ambitiousvision for China.’” (TIME)

“With President Xi Jinping’s contribution to the Chinese Communist Party’s ideologicalcanonnowenshrinedin the party’s constitution, the nation can expectwaves of expositionson their leader’s philosophy.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“The party congress saw Xicement his powerahead of a second five-year term and put him in the same company as the founder of modern China, Mao Zedong…” (Reuters)

Not if, but how

Ideally media would report the effects of the policy changes through neutral, fact-based explanations. Only a few outlets give any specifics on how Xi’s power would be “cemented.” For example,The New York Timesreports that Xi Thought will likely now be taught in schools and in Chinese news and government agencies. The Wall Street Journal says that it will be added to school textbooks and state media essays. The other outlets don’t mention this.

Additionally, the media says it’s hard to challenge Xi and that CCP “delegates are carefully chosen for loyalty,” but don’t say how or what that means. A video embedded inTIME’s articleshows that the change to the constitution was adopted unanimously ­– meaning there were no “against” votes out of 2,300 delegates. Pointing to this fact would be more concrete and informative than using sensational language to imply the party is powerful.

Granted, there are limitations to what the CCP discloses publicly, so not all information is available. However, media could also acknowledge this, and the possible implications, in a neutral way, without the drama.

It’s useful for news outlets to show that the changes to the constitution may actually increase Xi’s and the party’s power. Yet, providing facts without sensationalism would be more informative and less alarmist.

Written by Analea Holland and Julia Berry López

Edited by Julia Berry López andRosa Laura Junco

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