The journey of investigative journalist Wang Zhi’an from on-air personality in China’s vast state media apparatus to reporter in exile illustrates how even government-backed critical reporting has been curtailed under Xi Jinping.
Xi promised to change all that, vowing to crush corruption. He visited a humble bun shop, portraying himself as a man of the people.
But days before Wang’s story went to air, the party’s Central Propaganda Department said it was canning the story. Infuriated, Wang stopped coming to work, then resigned.At Caixin, a respected financial magazine, the politically connected editor-in-chief stepped aside. At the Beijing Daily News, a tabloid with a rebellious streak, the publisher stepped down and was later detained. At Southern Weekly, a revered liberal broadsheet, propaganda officials tangled with reporters.
Now, Wang is teaching himself Japanese. He has learned how to edit video on his own and operate on a shoestring budget. “Nobody believes a serious Chinese outlet can be established overseas,” he said. “But I want to give it a try. I think it’s very important for the whole Chinese-speaking world.”
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