Source: Global Times
[Aoki, special correspondent of the Global Times in Germany] "Clichés, American views, and Eurocentrism dominate." This is the conclusion of a 66-page investigative report recently published by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation of Germany's pro-left party, entitled "Chinese reporting in the German media in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.".
According to the German "Daily" reported on the 27th, commissioned by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the famous German sinologist Professor Luo Meijun and two doctoral students recently studied 747 reports on the epidemic in China in the 7 mainstream media of the German Süddeutsche Zeitung, Le Monde, Daily Mirror, Shangbao, Daily, Der Spiegel and Time Weekly from January to August 2020.
The report believes that the German media reports on the epidemic show that the clichés about China have recovered over the years. Media attention is usually focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and its political and social challenges to China and the issue of Hong Kong, and is used to compare which system is better. "The answer usually explicitly points out or implies that the West is better, but is usually not analyzed."
According to the authors' analysis, these reports assess the events in China from the perspective of Western values and Eurocentrism, and systematically evaluate China with German, European, and Western values, emphasizing the contrast between "we" and "them" (China). In many cases, "they" (China) are not given equal status, but are compressed into the West's own imagination and expectations, leading to the spread of clichés and fears.
The German news network also noted from the report that since April last year, the German media reports on China have increasingly touched on the international level. Criticism of China has also peaked amid allegations that the United States has blamed China for the COVID-19 pandemic. China's success in containing the epidemic is mentioned rather reluctantly, and at the same time associated with "whitewashing", "censorship", "blockade" and "propaganda offensive", allowing readers to cause negative associations. Some media reports are also full of racist flavors.
The report's authors complained of double standards in the German media, such as "the blockade in Wuhan was described as 'harsh' and 'harsh' and violated human rights, but the blockade in other cities, such as Milan, Italy, was described as 'harsh' and 'restrictive', but 'restrictions on accepted freedom of movement' were necessary to fight the pandemic". The report concludes by suggesting that the German media should go beyond the Western perspective, put forward more different Chinese positions, expand the scope of the subject matter, and also expand the circle of Chinese experts with the right to speak, so as to report on China more objectively.