As has been widely reported, the Chinese government is launching a massive “external propaganda” mission by providing substantial funding to create media that will be broadcast and distributed overseas. Apparently, this effort includes Malawi, where a blogger noticed a 12-page supplement in his daily paper extolling the virtues of China’s policies in Tibet. From Letters from Namitembo:
I have been told by the paper’s Advertising Manager that the Chinese Embassy in Malawi is responsible for the ad. I managed to contact the Managing Editor of the paper as well, and I asked him why they printed an advertisement designed to disguise itself as editorial content, and why, instead of clarifying that it was indeed advertising, the paper thought it necessary to incorporate their own logo into the layout of the advertising spread – thereby giving the impression that this advertising content was, in fact, approved by the Daily Times of being “worthy” of its brand. The managing editor insisted that the text reading “ADVERTISING” in the corner of each page provided all the necessary clarification.
When asked whether anyone who wanted could write up a news story – no matter its truth or falsehood – and run it in his paper as advertising, the Managing Editor told me no – there are standards in place, and each advertisement is carefully screened to see if it is worthy of being printed in The Daily Times. The Chinese Embassy’s advertisement, he said, passed this test.
At this point, he began to make some accusations. He accused me of trying to get him sacked from his job, of hating the Chinese, and of being from Tibet myself (though I speak with an American accent) – or being a covert agent of Tibet.
The blogger has scanned all 12 pages of the “advertorial” and posted the images on Flickr.
