Chinese Student says CNN faked images

One of my favorite NPR shows is On Point with Tom Ashbrook. Monday On Point aired from Beijing where they talked with three students about the Olympics, Tibet, China’s place in the world, and the Chinese perception of the USA.

The students, like China, are driven. In fact, I would argue that they have at least three times the amount of drive as most of us Americans. While it was neat to hear about the exciting possibilities they see in their own and China’s future, some of what they had to say was less than exciting.

One of the girls said that CNN faked images from the riots in Tibet. She said that CNN dressed up Nepalese, who she could tell were Nepalese because of their skin color, and staged faux-Tibetan riots. Tom was a bit flabbergasted at the accusation and asked her how she could be for sure since China does not have a free press. She never really answered his question.

I hope this was just some half-baked theory circulating on the internet and not “real” news in the Chinese media. Either way, this girl is China’s future and if she actually believes that the US has it in for China to such an extent that our free press is concocting stories, the future of Chinese and American relations may be more complex than I ever thought.

(Of course, many of we Americans still think that Obama and Osama are related.)

Not that the US media is not influenced by politics and corporate interests, but the day CNN stages a riot is the day I shack up in the woods to grow a very long beard and clean my guns.

If you haven’t already, you should check out the comment thread of this post where Joel and Jessica of China Hope Live talk about the Chinese Media and how it’s reporting recent events versus how the American Media is – very interesting.