People expect objective journalism

China has long been a victim of a widespread propaganda war. Many Western media have been running the war as yet. But I have recently been taken aback when a biased and subjective report about the coronavirus outbreak has come to my attention. The report titled 'China Coronavirus: China Reopens Markets Selling Bats, Pangolins After COVID-19 Effect Dips' was published in the websites of different international media outlets.

The Washington Examiner has first published the report quoting a correspondent of the A Mail on Sunday. Later on, some other international media have followed suit. It's a common practice in journalism to publish other's reports giving due credit to their copyright-holders. In this sense, the other international media have done nothing wrong publishing the report. However, if the content of the report is reviewed, It's easily understandable that the report is nothing but a tool of the Western propaganda war against China. Because the report started using the racist phrase 'China Coronavirus'. The phrase has originated from Sinophobia and is widely used by the propagandists to smear China. But this is an utter violation of international rules as the UN health agency World Health Organisation (WHO) has named the pandemic as COVID-19.

The motivated report has also mentioned that 'China's "wet markets" have reopened - selling bats, pangolins and dogs for human consumption.The markets are under watchful eyes of guards, who ensure no one is able to take pictures of the blood-soaked floors, slaughtering of dogs and rabbits, and scared animals cramped in the cages.' The report continued saying that 'several scientists, medical experts and animal rights activists have called for a ban on China's wet markets but the Asian country seems to have not learnt from its mistakes.' These are totally false and fabricated statements. Because the world knows China has permanently banned the buying, selling, and eating of wild animals in an effort to prevent zoonotic diseases from jumping from animals to people. And Bats are never a diet for Chinese tables.

The report has further mentioned that 'the Huanan Seafood Market in China's Wuhan is believed to be the epicentre of coronavirus, which swept the world.' But the reality is that no scientists around the world have yet to confirm the market as the exact source of the coronavirus pandemic. Likewise, the report has criticised China's celebrations of the victory in its people's war against the outbreak. In my opinion, the criticism is nothing but the result of envy of the great successes of China in the fight against the epidemic.

The report also mentioned that "Everyone here (China) believes the outbreak is over and there's nothing to worry about anymore. It's just a foreign problem now as far as they are concerned." This is also a black lie because China never holds such a selfish mentality and it has already sent assistance to more than 180 countries to combat coronavirus.

Given aforesaid analysis, as a reader and journalist, I wonder how credible media outlets can publish such a piece? Through publishing this report, the media have called their credibility in question. They have joined hands with Western propagandists and deviated from objective journalism, which people never expect from any media outlet.

The author is the China Correspondent of the Bangladesh Post.