By Kent Walz
Journal Editor
This is Sunshine Week, a time set aside for friends of the First Amendment to encourage dialogue on the importance of open government and freedom of information.
It's worth noting that this kind of sunshine— the kind that makes democracy flourish and in the words of Justice Brandeis is the best disinfectant— doesn't shine with the same intensity everywhere.
An eye-opening trip to China brought home that point to many in a New Mexico delegation visiting the emerging superpower.
First, a disclosure: I didn't go as a journalist and was told that getting a visa for a reporter would take up to a year— if we could get one at all.
So I simply was hustled from place to place along with about 200 other members of the tour sponsored by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
The China we saw is energetic, friendly and proud of what it has accomplished economically since it "opened up." But it has a long way to go before it can be considered "open" in terms of Sunshine Week— even though it is light years ahead of where it was.
As one of many news junkies on this trip, I spent a lot of time reading the two English language newspapers— the China Daily and the Shanghai Daily.
All of our hotels had CCTV-9, the state-run network's English-language channel. (There are plenty of other Chinese-language channels with news, game shows and soaps and an impressive, modern-style CCTV headquarters building is taking shape on the Bejing skyline.)
How do they rate on the Sunshine meter?
The China Daily is a party publication (although it no longer gets government subsidies) that comes across as competent and professional. It has a lot of straight international news from wire services and some "bad" news stories from China— if you count things like illegal mines being shut down and impending drought.
You also find lots of unchallenged, self-promoting statements about promoting harmony and social justice, helping immigrants and protecting cultural history.
What you won't find is much in the way of anyone questioning officials or government policy, let alone criticizing them.
CCTV has a sophisticated presentation with anchors and reporters who at first blush are as good or better than their American or British counterparts. You have to watch for awhile before you realize everyone is on message.
They report over and over that things are being done to promote social justice or harmony. What we saw was virtually devoid of criticism or opposition comment.
Headlines on the CCTV-9 website Monday:
Dalai's description on Lhasa riot ridiculous
Full Disclosure: Dalai coterie's secessionist attempts doomed to fail
China judicial organs to deal with Lhasa rioters
While standing in Tiananmen Square, one of our group (Susan Seligman of the Anti Defamation League) asked our guide what she thought had happened there.
To paraphrase, the guide said she didn't know much about it (too young) but that some well-meaning students had been manipulated by some bad people and the government had needed to take steps to protect them.
As we walked back to the bus, one of our group asked whether we would be allowed to carry American flags. She said no. She said we would not be arrested, but the flags would be confiscated.
We asked about the flags as we were trying to figure out the different roles of the many police and soldiers we saw everywhere. Police keep law and order, manage traffic, etc. The soldiers make sure no one is demonstrating or showing civil unrest.
The guides were bright, charming and smart. Clearly proud of their country, they acknowledged problems and challenges in a country of 1.3 billion but stayed on message about improvements and the government's relentless efforts to help the people.
They are eager to showcase China during the Olympic games.
But for some reason they weren't allowed to eat meals with us or exchange contact information such as e-mails. Why would that be? Perhaps it's for the same reason foreign journalists are being moved out of Tibet.
Back in the United States, the Sunshine Meter isn't all it could be— with reporters being jailed to force disclosure of sources, the Bush administration's war on the Freedom of Information Act and ever-expanding claims of executive privilege in Washington and Santa Fe.
But in contrast, the sun shines a lot brighter here, nourishing a system— albeit messier— that is based on people having access to information upon which to make a democratic choice.
For a free people, that's more important than social harmony.
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