Assignment China: An Oral History of American Journalists in the People's Republic Paperback – March 21, 2023

How do we know what we think we know about China? For most people, it’s through the reporting of journalists living and working in the country or, when that’s not possible, watching it from nearby places. By gathering together the personal narratives of these journalists, extending back to the founding of the People’s Republic and up to the present day, Chinoy provides a valuable and comprehensive look at the conditions under which they have had to work, and how that has affected the narrative about China over the decades.In many cases, the struggles of the journalists trying to report the truth about this enormously important country make for a more gripping tale than the stories they are eventually able to produce. Readers often have no idea how much courage it took — both by the reporters themselves and by their Chinese sources — to unearth information that the Chinese government would rather the world not know.Modern Chinese history has cycled through periods of hopeful openness and severe repression. By chronicling how these fluctuations have impacted journalists and their coverage, “Assignment China” has added an important element to our understanding of China and how we view it.

While the world is watching tragedies unfold in the Middle East and Ukraine, Asia, especially China, will always play a major role in world affairs. Nobody knows that better than former CNN correspondent and China expert Mike Chinoy. This is not only a fascinating account of how journalists have so valiantly provided us with news of and insights into a country that has been such an enigma to the outside world, but also is an illuminating account of modern Chinese history from a very human and relatable viewpoint. I lived and worked in Hong Kong as a broadcast journalist for ten years, traveling often to cover the mainland, and cannot recommend this brilliant book strongly enough.

Chinoy looks at China since the 1949 revolution and how its journey has been covered by the U.S. media correspondents who had been assigned there. Moments of insight and courage are discussed, along with the painstaking everyday challenge of trying to report the news from this massive, complicated, and secretive country. A fascinating read for China hands and those who want to understand the profession of journalism.

Assignment China gives readers unforgettable behind-the-scenes insights on the challenges and choices faced by journalists covering the biggest story of the past 45 years - the rise of China to the world's center stage. Organized chronologically, author Mike Chinoy is the guide who provides the context for the recollections of the reporters who faced threats, intimidation and the risk of expulsion to cover Tian'anmen, SARS, COVID-19 and the dramatic changes in the lives of the Chinese people. I couldn't put it down.

Mike Chinoy is a pioneering broadcaster who opened CNN's first Beijing bureau in 1987. This book is based on his documentary of the same name. In each, correspondents talk about the challenges of covering China as outsiders. For those not old enough to remember, Chinoy comes from a time when journalism was considered a craft, guided by ethics--when journalists didn't have agendas. A must read for serious journalists & would-be international reporters--plus anyone who wants to understand China's contemporary history.

Die eigentlich höchst verdienstvolle Sammlung von Zitaten journalistischer China-Watcher ist letztendlich historisch völlig wertlos. Sie verzichtet auf das jeweilige Erscheinungsdatum und den Hinweis auf den Titel der Quelle. Die wenigen Fußnotenhinweise sind als Trost eher ärgerlich. Dieser Mangel ist umso erstaunlicher als er von der Columbia University Press zu verantworten ist.