"Grandpa" Wen

In tune with the past two posts, I just figured I'd post one more thing about media, particularly Chinese media. In the essay segment I posted yesterday, I was less clear on one of the overarching "responsibilities" of the Chinese press: to shore up the Party's hegemonic control of the state (one specific way to do this would be to defuse social instability through rooting out corruption).

With the Sichuan earthquake, however, the media have brought the people closer to the party simply by broadcasting and showing Premier Wen Jiabao as a paternalistic, caring leader.

From Sunday's New York Times

“He really loves the common people, and we can see this is not an act,” said Wang Liangen, 72, a retired math teacher from the devastated city of Dujiangyan, who watched last week as the prime minister climbed over the wreckage of a school where hundreds of children were buried. “He has brought the people closer together, and brought the people closer to the government.”

This would be impossible in Burma. It's not in China. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing, especially since it must comfort (at least) some people in the earthquake zone (I hesitate to write "victims" here...).