国外媒体对两次不同的灾难的报道：缅甸飓风和中国地震

　　五月发生的两次灾难引起了难以统计的人员伤亡和苦难。不论是政府还是私人领域，全世界人民都在行动起来抗灾救灾。但是，从国外媒体不带偏见的报道来看，这两个国家政府的灾后反应令人深思。

　　相比而言，缅甸国家较小，受灾更严重，在本国政府显然无法应对抗灾重任的时候，却出于政治原因拒绝接受外援。所有救援物资一送抵缅甸即被政府没收。他们还严禁外国记者进入灾区（那些设法进入的记者都是偷渡进去的）。因此，缅甸人民正面临着一场更大的疫情灾难，缅甸政府则饱受外界的抨击。

　　相反，中国政府对灾难的反应似乎非常快，而且对外国媒体采取了完全开放的态度。因此境外媒体得以对灾难进行大篇幅翔实的报道，并且刊登了大量对中国政府的褒扬之词，例如：

　　“我认为他们对这次灾难的反应表明他们有行动的能力，有保护人民的能力。”他说：“他们似乎认识到像这样的灾难可以聚集民心，给政府以有力的支援。”

　　大家可以读一读荐纽约时报上的一篇文章，链接是：

　　http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/world/asia/14response.html?hp

　　这篇文章表明中国不但有能力保护自己的人民，而且学会了如何在国际上展示中国的大国风度。

（科学网 何姣译）

Note added 5/18/08. In the Sunday New York Times "Week-in-Review" section today there is a follow up article on the new Chinese openness and transparency effort. The articles recounts factually the attempt by soviet leader Gorbachev in the 1980s at "perestroika" and "glasnot" and how these led to the collapse of the soviet Union.. It goes on to wonder if a parallel exist for the current Chinese effort.

Readers are invited to voice their own guess as to what are different today and why or why not.

Note added 5/21/08. There is another mostly favorable report in the NY Times today on the earthquake response and Premier Wen Jiabao.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/world/asia/21wen.html?th&emc=th

Foreign reporting of two different disasters – The Myanmar cyclone and the Chinese earthquake

These two disasters in May caused untold number of deaths and suffering. A number of public and private relief efforts are underway worldwide. However, the responses of the two countries as reported by foreign press with “no ax to grind (i.e. English idiom meaning no particular biases or hidden motives)” are most revealing.

Myanmar a much smaller country with a bigger disaster for political reasons refuses to let in any outside help when it clearly was not able to handle the relief effort herself. Relief material delivered to Myanmar was immediately seized by the government. No foreign reporters were allowed to visit the disaster site (most press reports were smuggled out.). Because of this, a much larger health disaster for the entire population is in the making and the government is being scorned by the outside world.

On the other hand, China seems to make a very rapid response and is completely open to foreign press. Foreign reporting is full of details and praise. A typical quote ““I think their response to this disaster shows they can act, and they can care,” he said. “They seem to be aware that a disaster like this can pull the country together and bring them support.”

I suggest reading the NY Times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/world/asia/14response.html?hp

Which showed that China not only is caring but also has learned to play the internationally public relation game well (有大国風度)