The bulk of the article details how, in spite of major investments;
the Chinese are not making much of a dent in the Chinese Media market. The
Chinese Global TV Network (see: https://www.cgtn.com/)
opened a bureau in Africa in 2012. They also launched a newspaper, China Daily
Africa and ChinAfrica a magazine while half the journalists may be African,
it’s clear that Beijing pulls the strings.
The article noted that there are always two editorial
meetings at GCTN stations. The first for the general staff and the other is
where the Chinese editors seek story approval from their Beijing masters.
While ‘old fashioned propaganda’ may have stalled, the
article continues, the Chinese have embarked on a three-pronged approach to
expand their interest.
1.
A mass training program for African journalists.
2.
Chinese investment in private companies such as
the South Africa based Independent
Media where the Chinese no have a 20% interest.
3.
Expansion of StarTimes, (see photo from website) a
pay TV network now in 25 countries and claiming 24 million subscribers, a
figure doubted by many experts.
What is interesting about StarTimes is its wide range of content
which according to the article includes: “Chinese Super League
football, kung-fu movies and soap operas. StarTimes even hosts competitions for
African actors to dub dramas into languages such as Hausa and Swahili, a move
few Western broadcasters have bothered with.”
It is the last activity that should
pique the curiosity of the PSYOP community. By writing their own dramas the
Chinese are subtlety deciding what people see and by making that
‘entertainment’ available in native languages while others do not, it’s clear
to see how a long haul strategy will give the Chinese dominance in small market
segments.
Of course small segments can serve as
jump off points to bigger ones on the road to systematic domination of the
larger market.
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