More good journalists needed despite ‘fall’ of CCTV star

Also, this is not the first time Rui has created a controversy. In 2007, Rui wrote in his microblog that Starbucks should be moved out of China’s Forbidden City although the coffee shop set up the branch at the latter’s invitation. Under the influence of the celebrity who had 10 million followers in Sina Weibo, China’s equivalent Twitter, Starbucks eventually moved out of the palace. In that case, people may have quite different judgments on whether Rui was too nationalist or despised the spirit of contract. However, the modern Starbuck’s presence in the ancient world heritage itself was controversial, and the Forbidden City should have solicited public opinion before the offer was made.

Later at the G20 meeting in 2010, he raised eyebrows again, this time by usurping the last question, supposed to be asked by a South Korean journalist, “to represent the entire Asia” to ask US President Barack Obama .

The next year, he invited criticism for asking the then US ambassador to China, Gary F. Lock, at Davos whether he traveled economy class because the US owed huge debts to China.

His style of raising questions may be too straightforward, or even clumsy, for many Chinese who prefer the traditional spirit of politeness and modesty. But as a well-educated journalist who speaks English fluently, his interview style, despite being controversial, didn’t affect his work.

He is one of the few journalists bold enough to challenge powerful figures while interviewing them. His success in persuading 200 political and business leaders to accept his invitation to be interviewed should be considered as an achievement. He had enough reasons to be proud of, and he could boast of being the new face of Chinese journalism to the outside world.

His professional achievements and possible illegal deeds are two separate things, so his “being taken away” has nothing to do with his “patriotic remarks”. Many journalists use cheap tricks to sensationalize their reports, because they fear that otherwise viewers and/or readers will consider their efforts ordinary and dull. But is it is right to sensationalize news even if it is to promote nationalism? More journalists need to seriously discuss this issue.

As a rising power, China is bound to develop deeper relations with the international community. So it will need more journalists like Rui to reach the country’s true story to the outside world. And of course, the crackdown on corruption should be intensified to prevent so-called star journalists from using their positions to make money.

The author is an editor with China Daily.