CGTN America

CGTN America is a channel of China Global Television Network (CGTN), the international division of the state-owned media organization China Central Television (CCTV), the headquarters of which is in Beijing, China. It is one of six international language news channels run by CGTN, under the control of the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party.[1] CGTN America is headquartered at 1099 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200 in Washington, D.C., and manages bureaus in New York City, Washington, D.C., as well as spanning coverage in North and South America. CGTN America began broadcasting in the United States on 6 February 2012,[2] replacing the former English language CCTV-9 in the region.[3]

CGTN America
TypeState media
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide
NetworkChina Global Television Network
Headquarters1099 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20001
U.S.
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
OwnerChina Central Television
History
Launched6 February, 2012 (2012)
Links
Webcastamerica.cgtn.com
Websiteamerica.cgtn.com
Availability
Streaming media
Sling TVInternet Protocol television

CGTN America employs American, Chinese, and other international journalists and produces U.S.-based programs with a focus on Asia for CGTN.[4] It maintains a separate schedule of programs each day from noon to 7 p.m. MST (7 p.m. to 2 a.m. GMT), and like its African counterpart, it simulcasts CGTN International at all other times. CGTN America's director general is Ma Jing, with veteran Asia journalist Jim Laurie as executive consultant.[5]

Observers have noted that the "aim [of CGTN] is to influence public opinion overseas in order to nudge foreign governments into making policies favourable towards China's Communist party" through subtle means.[6] Researchers Thomas Fearon and Usha M. Rodrigues argued that CGTN has a "dichotomous role as a credible media competing for audience attention on the world stage, and a vital government propaganda organ domestically."[7] According to James Palmer at Foreign Policy, the contrasting aims of RT (formerly Russia Today) and CGTN, "mirrors wider strategies: Moscow wants chaos it can exploit, while Beijing wants a stable world order—on its terms".[8]

In 2018, the United States Department of Justice directed CGTN America and Xinhua News Agency to register as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA),[9][10] which CGTN America did on 1 February 2019[11] while Xinhua did not register.[12] In 2020, the United States Department of State designated CGTN and its parent company, CCTV, as well as Xinhua, as foreign missions, requiring them to submit lists of all employees and to seek approval to buy any property.[12][13][14]

Production team

Anchoring team

North America correspondents

US

Foreign state agent registration

CGTN America initially claimed that it had "editorial independence from any state direction or control". This claim was debunked by The New York Times reporter Paul Mozur in interviews with "current and former CGTN employees [who] say CCTV editors in Beijing often dictated plans for covering China. American employees sometimes pushed back, they said, and Ms. Ma allowed some flexibility when Beijing's orders didn't specifically forbid or dictate content. But three people interviewed said they had little choice but to air propaganda clips when Beijing said so".[2] CGTN employees were disciplined when a news report mentioned Falun Gong, the religious group labeled as a cult and banned by the PRC. The Flag of the Republic of China, which the PRC does not recognize, is banned from broadcasts. In November 2018, amid growing international criticism of China's imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs in internment camps, CGTN America aired a pro-Beijing documentary portraying the camps as successful vocational training and anti-terrorism centers and Uyghurs as grateful.[16] In addition, CGTN America has broadcast "exclusive" coerced confessions of people accused of a wide variety of crimes in China, most notably the example of a Briton, Peter Humphrey.[2] In addition, some CGTN journalists "recall being asked to cross a sometimes blurred line between news reporting and intelligence gathering as they were asked to report on high-level government meetings".[17]

The United States Department of State characterized "CGTN America's relationship with a foreign government and a foreign political party as one of interest to Washington". The United States Department of Justice was concerned about an "expanding influence campaign being waged by Beijing through the global arms of state media outlets" like CGTN and Xinhua News Agency.[18][19] In putting pressure upon Xinhua and CGTN, a senior US official noted that US grievances towards the lack of reciprocity from Beijing on trade and media access as many American and international news outlets are blocked in China.[20]

The Justice Department directed CGTN America and Xinhua News Agency to register as foreign agents under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). CGTN America registered under FARA on 1 February 2019, but said that it disagreed with the Justice Department's decision, but nevertheless registered as a foreign agent.[11] While this permits CGTN America to continue operating in the United States, it is required to disclose information about its annual budget and ownership structure, and also to include disclaimers on broadcasts, published materials and social media identifying itself as a registered foreign agent.

On 8 March 2019, after CGTN America registered under FARA, its director general Ma Jing and a dozen other staffers were recalled to Beijing. In the FARA filing Ma had said that CGTN America enjoyed editorial independence from any state control and that it operated like other news media organizations. It has been speculated that the recall is a result of her claim of editorial independence, which deviates from the Chinese Communist Party's position.[21]

In 2020, the United States Department of State designated CGTN and its parent company, CCTV, as well as Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International, the distributors of the official People's Daily and English-language China Daily, as foreign missions, requiring them to submit lists of all employees and to seek approval to buy any property.[12]

Airing of forced confessions
Further information: China Global Television Network § Controversies, and CGTN (TV channel) § Criticism

In November 2018, amid growing international criticism of China's imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs in internment camps, CGTN America aired a piece portraying the camps as successful vocational training and antiterrorism centers and Uyghurs as grateful. In addition, CGTN America has broadcast "exclusive" forced confessions of people accused of a wide variety of crimes in China, most notably the example of a Briton, Peter Humphrey.[2]

References
  1. "China is spending billions on its foreign-language media". The Economist. 2018-06-14. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  2. Mozur, Paul (2019-02-28). "Live From America's Capital, a TV Station Run by China's Communist Party". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  3. Wang, Xi (2012-02-06). "About CCTV America". CNTV. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  4. "CCTV America Initiates New Programming From Washington, D.C." (Press release). CCTV. 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  5. "Chinese state TV starts American service this week". Associated Press. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  6. Lim, Louisa; Bergin, Julia (2018-12-07). "Inside China's audacious global propaganda campaign". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2020-03-10. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  7. Fearon, Thomas; Rodrigues, Usha M. (2019-07-31). "The dichotomy of China Global Television Network's news coverage". Pacific Journalism Review: Te Koakoa. 25 (1&2): 102–121. doi:10.24135/pjr.v25i1.404. ISSN 2324-2035. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  8. Palmer, James (October 1, 2018). "China's Global Propaganda Is Aimed at Bosses, Not Foreigners". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  9. O'Keeffe, Kate; Viswanatha, Aruna (2018-09-18). "Justice Department Has Ordered Key Chinese State Media Firms to Register as Foreign Agents". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  10. Lim, Louisa; Bergin, Julia (2018-12-07). "Inside China's audacious global propaganda campaign". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  11. O'Keeffe, Kate; Viswanatha, Aruna (2019-02-05). "Chinese State Media Giant CGTN Registers as Foreign Agent in U.S." The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  12. Tandon, Shaun (April 8, 2020). "US tightens rules on Chinese state media". Hong Kong Free Press. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  13. Jakes, Lara; Myers, Steven Lee (2020-02-18). "U.S. Designates China's Official Media as Operatives of the Communist State". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  14. Wong, Edward (2020-06-22). "U.S. Designates Four More Chinese News Organizations as Foreign Missions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  15. Hernández, Javier C. (2016-02-05). "Ties to Chinese State Media Raise Questions in U.S. Election Campaign". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  16. Boren, Cindy (2019-12-16). "Arsenal star Mesut Özil draws China's wrath after criticizing treatment of Muslim Uighurs". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  17. Beach, Sophie (December 7, 2018). "Beijing's Evolving Global Media Influence". China Digital Times. Archived from the original on 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
  18. Zhou, Laura (6 February 2019). "Chinese state broadcaster registers with US as foreign agent". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  19. Di Stefano, Mark; Adams, Rosalind (February 5, 2019). "A Leaked Memo Says Chinese State TV Registered As A Foreign Agent "In The Spirit of Cooperation"". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  20. "What are Xinhua and CGTN, America's new 'foreign agents'?". Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  21. Mozur, Paul (2019-03-08). "Facing Legal Scrutiny, China's State TV Recalls Its U.S. Head". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
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