The Media Story of the Soccer Commentator – EastSouthWestNorth

From EastSouthWestNorth:

At first blush, this is a simple story. Huang Jianxiang was the top soccer commentator on CCTV. He covered the 2006 World Cup this past summer. He has decided to resign from his job and embark on a career in entertainment. So what? This is no different than scores of former CCTV program hosts who have opted for different career paths in the private sector. But this case is quite different. First of all, the resignation of Huang Jianxiang has been hailed by some netizens variously as “a blow to the system,” “pursuit of freedom and liberty” and “pursuit of individuality.” As brilliant as Huang Jianxiang had been, he was working in a straitjacket at CCTV. His departure is therefore being celebrated as the triumph of freedom, liberty, individualism and all that. Is that so? [Full Text]