Special report | The media
China, meet Fourth Estate
China is working hard to shape public opinion in Africa, but its more lasting impact could be on the infrastructure of media itself
The call came from the Chinese embassy. During a video meeting in March Joe Biden had warned Xi Jinping of “consequences” if China provided material support to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. But China wanted readers in Africa to get their version. Xinhua, the official news service, supplies content free to many African media outlets. It made sure the story was available in time for Tanzanian deadlines. A Chinese diplomat alerted news outlets to the case, according to one journalist. The diplomat said the story was “important” to them.
This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “China, meet Fourth Estate”
From the May 28th 2022 edition
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