Same same or different? – 6th & 7th Event:
Investigative Journalism in China

According to „Reporters Without Borders“, China belongs to the ten countries that respect media freedom least, along with Vietnam, Iran, or Somalia. The organisation calls it „the world’s biggest prison for journalists, bloggers and cyber-dissidents“, with about 100 of them being in jail. However, critical journalism and investigative reporting are possible in China. Their role is becoming more and more important, not least due to social media. They are even welcomed by the political authorities – under certain circumstances.

How these circumstances may look like and what spaces of freedom China‘s media landscape offers (occasionally) are some of the topics that will be discussed by our guests Yu Chen and Zhan Jiang. They will also give some insights into the interplay of traditional media, social media, and state media in China.

The discussion will be moderated by Felix Lee.


The event is supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the International Media Center Hamburg (IMCH).


• 6th Event / Hamburg

Date:

Thursday, 13th June 2013, 6.30 pm

Venue:

Stiftung Weltweite Wissenschaft
Gästehaus der Universität Hamburg
Rothenbaumchaussee 34
20148 Hamburg


• 7th Event / Berlin

Date:

Sunday, 16th June 2013, 6 pm

Venue:

“Max und Moritz”
Oranienstr. 162
10969 Berlin
Subway: U8 Moritzplatz


Guests:

YU Chen, born 1973 in Henan Province, has been working as journalist in China since 1995. From 2005 until May 2012 he was journalist, senior journalist and head of the in-depth investigative news desk of Southern Metropolis Daily. In June 2012 he started his own magazine and recruited a team of journalists, their goal is to re-organise social media in China. Yu published many investigative news stories e.g. about environment scandals or relocation conflicts. He was the first to bring into public the news on blood buying rings in Henan blamed for spreading Aids.

ZHAN Jiang is professor of journalism at Beijing Foreign Studies University. From 1996 to 2009 he taught journalism at China Youth University for Political Sciences. Prior to his academic career, Zhan served in the Chinese Navy and was a reporter at the Department of Weekend at Yangzhou Daily. He is considered as one of the leading academics on investigative journalism in China.

Felix LEE, born 1975 in China, grew up in Germany. Since 2012 he works as correspondent in Beijing for several German media, such as taz or Zeit Online. His first book “Profiting from the Crisis – What the West can learn from China” has been published in 2011.