A Chinese higher education academy has responded to CNN and some other Western media who delivered distorted reports and offensive comments on China.
"As teachers engaged in journalistic education in China, we have been striving to call for our students to abide by professional ethics of journalism and respect for civilization of all human beings," the Journalism and Communications Committee of the Chinese Association of Higher Education said in its statement.
"But we have noticed distorted reports and vicious offence on China delivered by some mainstream Western media at a time when China is going to hold the Beijing Olympic Games." it said.
The CNN delivered stories about riot in Tibet with cropped pictures and later a TV show in which a commentator called Chinese products "junk" and Chinese "goons and thugs".
"Those reports and comments have totally violated professional guideline and ethics for journalism which have been widely accepted by the international press circle," the statement said.
"The reports and comments are not only misleading the world's understanding on China and Chinese people, but also playing a role to instigate hatred among countries and nationalities. We hardly believe such practice was carried out by such influential media organizations as CNN and BBC," it said.
In journalism lectures, Chinese teachers have told their students to read and accept Journalist's Creed written by Walter Williams, founder of the Missouri School of Journalism, the statement said, suggesting that today's practitioners in CNN and BBC should review the historic document to understand its principles and spirits and self-examine their doings.
The committee also pledged on behalf of Chinese journalism educators that they will continue to ask their students to seek truth and reality in an all-out effort to cultivate journalistic professionals who will show kindness to the human beings and take responsibilities for the journalism career.
(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2008)