China Daily editor says opportunities available for jobs in foreign press
Brandon BuckUniversity Editor David Veselenak sat down with Xing Zhigang, the deputy China news editor for the China Daily.
Zhigang is a visiting scholar through CMU's journalism department. He spoke about the nation's only national English-language newspaper and his time traveling to nations like Iran and North Korea.
David Veselenak: When did you decide to come over to the United States?
Xing Zhigang: Late December. The editor in chief for the China Daily told me I had the chance to come to the university, so I thought it was a really good opportunity to come (learn) more about the United States and what you people think about China.
DV: You picked CMU because of their relationship with the China Daily?
XZ: Yes, because of the CMU-China Daily exchange program. Your students can have some interesting opportunities with the China Daily.
DV: Besides sitting in on classes, what else are you doing in the United States?
XZ: I want to know more about the latest developments in the U.S. media industry ... and when I go back to China, I can improve the quality of our newspaper. I'm also attending some courses - such as the management of human resources and organizations.
DV: What exactly is your role with the China Daily?
XZ: I now work as a deputy national news editor, and our department is in charge of providing other important political and social news stories for (the) front page. (The China Daily) is the only national English-language newspaper, circulating about 300,000 in 150 countries and regions.
We are going to launch our American edition by the end of this month. We opened up a U.S. Bureau in Washington last month. I want to extend an invitation to all CMU students, if you want to go to (the) China Daily and work with us. You could work with us as our correspondent in the United States for (the) China Daily.
We have an ambitious program to expand our overseas presence. We are trying to launch our European edition, an Asian edition, as well as an American edition, so we are trying to recruit more foreign journalists to work with us. So far, we have hired more than 30 foreign journalists as our reporters, copy editors and columnists and page editors. They are from the United States, Britain, India, Singapore and Paris.
DV: Have you worked with the China Daily your entire career?
XZ: Yes, since 1996, after graduating from the China School of Journalism. I worked in Beijing for one year, and then moved to Hong Kong to start the Hong Kong edition.
DV: What things stick out in your mind as landmarks in your career?
XZ: A fantastic experience was my visit to North Korea. Also, before my visit to North Korea, I visited Iran in Sept. 2005.
Both of the nations are deemed mysterious to the outside world. But, as I visited these two countries, as a journalist, you can do a lot in promoting new (standings) between different countries.
The two countries don't allow journalists to visit their country. After I visited the two countries, I (felt) I had a duty to tell the outside world what really happens there. That's the reason I decided to go.
DV: How did you get access to these two countries?
XZ: I visited Iran at the invitation of their foreign minister. As for my visit to North Korea, our president was planning to visit their country, so I applied to go to North Korea to report. Finally, they agreed.
DV: Were there any restrictions on you?
XZ: No. They don't allow Western journalists to visit their nations. Actually, I felt their government is hoping to lighten up the world to their country, their people.
After I returned to Beijing, after my visit to North Korea, I wrote an article in Chinese to tell what I saw in North Korea. My article became the most popular article on the Internet for a long time. Even the Chinese people know little about North Korea.
DV: What other countries have you visited?
XZ: I have been to India, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Hong Kong.
DV: What is your impression of American media, in terms of content? How does it compare to what the China Daily is doing?
XZ: I read a lot of the Washington Post and New York Times, and I think the U.S. media (is) very open. More Internet. The New York Times has a lot of pages dedicated to international news, and that's very good. It can provide ... the U.S. people with what is going on beyond the United States.
DV: What is your presentation for the journalism department going to be on?
XZ: A little bit about the development of Chinese media. Over the past decade, the Chinese media has seen (growth) very fast.
DV: In terms of openness, how accessible is information to the China Daily? What's the freedom of information flow like in China?
XZ: Actually, both the Chinese government and Chinese media have become more and more open. Actually ... our newspaper is one of the most open and internationalized newspapers in China.
DV: What advice do you have for students looking to go into journalism, both internationally and domestic?
XZ: International learning and international experience are becoming one of the most important qualifications for most jobs and professions.
Most CMU students can have more opportunities to study abroad or work abroad ... it will help them stay competitive in looking for a job.
I'm thinking, someday you can expand a program between CMU and China Daily, to let more students have opportunities to work abroad.
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