I don't know what they'd expect when the Shanghai sect are the backseat drivers to Xi's center-left socialism. Imo, these kinds of things are the compromises they make in order to keep the neoliberals from turn-coating directly to the Americans. It's disappointing that it involves excusing when the neoliberals botch national policy objectives,
From the rest of the thread, it seems like some socially conservatives boomers in charge are extra ban happy with issues regarding covid, women, lgbt, workers etc. It sucks because these are what ST is best at. I was always very impressed with their ability to present stories about China that were neither Western propaganda nor bland govt. congratulatory messages. I can’t think of another Chinese publication that threads that needle.
I would simply not sound like I'm echoing western media sinophobic talking points. But that's just me. I guess I'm just built different.
Fuck them, honestly. Even Trotskiyists who are critical of China had better views of Zero-COVID and criticisms of the government than this dipshit at Sixth Tone.
The should do an article about the (real) trauma of your family becoming fascists because of COVID and immigrant families dying. Instead of Shanghai citylibs "trauma" of being mad they had to stay inside for a couple weeks.
Yeah it fucking sucks ass. Would kill for 1-2 week hard lockdowns and then lighter restrictions for months. Instead of having to fucking buy all the masks, tests, etc. myself. Self-police (myself). Get criticized and misunderstood by everyone around me when doing this. And still not actually feel or be safe at all in a country where if you get sick the government and employer tell you to go fuck yourself if you want help beyond maybe a single emergency room visit.
Just from this excerpt, fuck this guy. I'll happily take his house if he wants to come here, to the Garden of McNurgle. And hey, we've got so many tragic vehicles crashes of our own for him to report on, he'd be thrilled!
"Anti-covid silliness", go fuck yourself in a Hart Island trench you fucking hack, my mom still can't smell.
TLDR: The OP, senior editor/leader got shat on from a lot of people outside the mag for publishing a piece critical of zero-Covid in January. Management told him to take a 40% cut in pay or leave. He left.
There’s apparently a crackdown on Sixth Tone for its pieces covering lgbt, women and labor issues. The thread gives examples.
This sucks because ST is basically the one Chinese news source that covers those issues at all, in addition to positive coverage of China. It’s the one source I use when I tell people that “look, you can publish stuff that critiques things in China”.
Looks like that tendency got them in hot water, though.
Bad start to the morning.
This twitter thread has opened my eyes to the fact at least one person at Sixth Tone has also written for Radio Free Asia. Wtf?
If this person is in charge of hiring and hires literal actual feds I am not particularly surprised that there are people within the administration that wanted to oust them? It's the very first name he namedrops too.
Hard agree. No more boomers in positions of power.
With some exceptions, I guess.
China shooting themselves in the goddamned foot. Being self-critical gave Sixth Tone a lot of credibility among normies. But nooooo...pointing out real problems honestly makes the higher-ups lose face! And if there's one thing a Xiist publication can never do, it's make the powerful lose face!
Pooh avatar:
You know it’s just a matter of time although His Majesty doesn’t read English.
Lab-leak China watcher:
I’m getting the feeling in some years zero-Covid will be censored like the Tiananmen protests.
And of course:
Your mistake was working for the CCP state media. No matter how valid your complaints may be, it’s the CCP, so what did you expect? You should have gone west. There’s still time.
And:
What do you think is the reason Chinese gov funding English media? To bash China？That can count on countless western media, they don’t need another one. Editorial freedom? Pretty sure VOA and RFA has them. They can tolerate critisism of Uncle Sam
And:
That’s CCP regime in a nutshell.
:yikes-1::yikes-2::yikes-3:
Well. I can’t imagine someone who worked at an establishment like Sixth Tone for years, and even after the departure still said in the last tweets of the thread to continue reading it because they still do great work, would be too enthused by those replies.
I just don’t even understand how these people find these threads?? How do they even know what Sixth Tone is? They clearly haven’t read it at all.
