China’s Less-Polished News Sources

Too frequently the slick, overly produced style of network television news shows ends up obscuring the actual subjects they’re purportedly covering—most programs, despite the opportunities presented by the medium, are sadly more “tell” than “show.” As a result, some of the more interesting glimpses of life in China can be seen via various scrappier and less polished outlets. Over the past couple of years, Current TV has presented a handful of China pieces, including stories on the influx of Western entrepreneurs trying to establish businesses in China, migrant labor, and the Chinese sex industry. The expat-run web-video concern Sexy Beijing TV produces quirky documentary snapshots on urban development and local culture, and Al Jazeera often runs China stories, including reports on the growing Chinese auto industry, and about Chinese workers brought to Italy to work in sweatshops operated by the country’s textile industry.