BBC on Xinjiang:Violating the In-House Rules

By Li Fangfang

Imagine a journalist is followed by strangers and gets denied entrance by security guards as he is trying to gain access—and answers. What message would that convey？ Usual answer： There must be a secret hiding behind those closed doors. As for what this secret might be， it doesnt really matter.

Unfortunately， this is the way many Western media outlets have produced Xinjiang-related videos， catering to a viewership very unlikely to ever visit the region in person and dividing the people by enlarging the information gap.

The British Broadcasting Corporation （BBC） has proven a leader of the trend. Its former China correspondent John Sudworth contributed numerous stories centered on Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Yet throughout the process of his reporting， he rarely seemed to show any genuine respect for the locals—or the truth， for that matter. Make no mistake： I have long been a loyal follower of Sudworths reportings， but as a Xinjiang native who today lives and works in Beijing， one example of this rather twisted take on Xinjiang stood out to me.

BBC News published a video titled New Evidence of Uygur Forced Labor in Chinas Cotton Industry on December 15， 2020. The videos opening sequence had Sudworth hinting that “the evidence wasnt easy to find.”

Sudworth got rejected by one man who explicitly asked not to be filmed. The place he wanted to conduct interviews was a textile factory where he was later asked to delete what he had recorded. He did not give viewers specifics as to why he was asked to do so. He can be overheard telling the guard， “We are entitled to film in public anywhere in China.” This， however， is not exactly accurate.

According to a media guide published by Chinas State Council， a foreign journalist who intends to interview organizations or individuals in China needs to obtain their prior consent. Sudworth presumably had not filed any application of the sort.

Even in the UK， journalists do not possess the right to film in random public settings. “We should treat our contributors with honesty and respect. Our commitment to fairness is normally achieved by ensuring that people provide their ‘informed consent before they participate，” the BBCs editorial guidelines read.

However， the security guard of the factory in point didnt feel he was being respected. “They （the BBC reporters） were arrogant and looked down upon us，” one security guard said in another video courtesy of a Chinese vlogger who goes by the name of Uncle Damo. The latter entered the factory although he， too， was met with an initial refusal.