CGTN America
{{short description|American Chinese-run television news channel}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = CGTN America
| logo = CGTN-America Logo.svg
| logo_size = 250px
| network = China Global Television Network
| owner = China Central Television
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2012|2|6}}
| former_names =
| type = State media
| country = United States
| language = English
| area = Nationwide
| headquarters = 1099 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20001
U.S.
| website = {{Official URL}}
| webcast = {{Official URL}}
| online_serv_1 = Sling TV
| online_chan_1 = Internet Protocol television
}}
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.{{Cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2018/06/14/china-is-spending-billions-on-its-foreign-language-media|title=China is spending billions on its foreign-language media |date=2018-06-14|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=2019-08-22|issn=0013-0613|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820163045/https://www.economist.com/china/2018/06/14/china-is-spending-billions-on-its-foreign-language-media|archive-date=20 August 2019 |url-status=live}} 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 February 6, 2012,{{Cite news |last=Mozur| first=Paul |date=2019-02-28|title=Live From America's Capital, a TV Station Run by China's Communist Party|language=en-US|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/business/cctv-china-usa-propaganda.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-05-28|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428173309/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/business/cctv-china-usa-propaganda.html|archive-date=2020-04-28}} replacing the former English language CCTV-NEWS in the region.{{cite news |title=About CCTV America |url=http://english.cntv.cn/program/bizasiaamerica/20120206/117855.shtml |publisher=CNTV |date=2012-02-06 |first=Xi |last=Wang |access-date=2012-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314014314/http://english.cntv.cn/program/bizasiaamerica/20120206/117855.shtml |archive-date=2012-03-14 |url-status=dead }}
CGTN America employs American, Chinese, and other international journalists and produces U.S.-based programs with a focus on Asia for CGTN.{{cite press release |title=CCTV America Initiates New Programming From Washington, D.C. |url=http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/06/4243894/cctv-america-initiates-new-programming.html |publisher=CCTV |date=2012-02-06 |access-date=2012-02-08 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} 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.{{cite news |date=2012-02-08 |title=Chinese state TV starts American service this week |url=https://apnews.com/chinese-state-tv-starts-american-service-this-week-b834183af55840bca1242c0e9611dd78 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=January 18, 2023 |work=Associated Press News}}
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.{{Cite news |last1=Lim |first1=Louisa |author-link=Louisa Lim |last2=Bergin |first2=Julia |date=2018-12-07 |title=Inside China's audacious global propaganda campaign |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/dec/07/china-plan-for-global-media-dominance-propaganda-xi-jinping |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200310193251/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/dec/07/china-plan-for-global-media-dominance-propaganda-xi-jinping |archive-date=2020-03-10 |access-date=2019-12-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} 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."{{Cite journal|last1=Fearon|first1=Thomas|last2=Rodrigues|first2=Usha M.|date=2019-07-31|title=The dichotomy of China Global Television Network's news coverage|url=https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/pacific-journalism-review/article/view/404|journal=Pacific Journalism Review: Te Koakoa|volume=25|issue=1&2|pages=102–121|doi=10.24135/pjr.v25i1.404|issn=2324-2035|doi-access=free|access-date=2021-04-08|archive-date=2021-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202065758/https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/pacific-journalism-review/article/view/404|url-status=live|hdl=10536/DRO/DU:30128822|hdl-access=free}} 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".{{Cite news|last=Palmer|first=James|date=October 1, 2018|title=China's Global Propaganda Is Aimed at Bosses, Not Foreigners|work=Foreign Policy|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/01/chinas-global-propaganda-is-aimed-at-bosses-not-foreigners/|url-status=live|access-date=February 21, 2021|archive-date=January 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108203651/https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/01/chinas-global-propaganda-is-aimed-at-bosses-not-foreigners/}}
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),{{Cite news |last1=O'Keeffe |first1=Kate |last2=Viswanatha| first2=Aruna| date=2018-09-18|title=Justice Department Has Ordered Key Chinese State Media Firms to Register as Foreign Agents|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-has-ordered-key-chinese-state-media-firms-to-register-as-foreign-agents-1537296756|url-status=live|access-date=2020-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418152242/https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-has-ordered-key-chinese-state-media-firms-to-register-as-foreign-agents-1537296756|archive-date=2019-04-18|issn=0099-9660}} which CGTN America did on February 1, 2019{{Cite news |last1=O'Keeffe |first1=Kate |last2=Viswanatha |first2=Aruna |date=2019-02-05 |title=Chinese State Media Giant CGTN Registers as Foreign Agent in U.S. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-state-media-giant-cgtn-registers-as-foreign-agent-in-u-s-11549387532 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2021-02-28 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=2021-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227135944/https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-state-media-giant-cgtn-registers-as-foreign-agent-in-u-s-11549387532 |url-status=live }} while Xinhua did not register.{{Cite news|last=Tandon|first=Shaun|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/04/08/us-tightens-rules-on-chinese-state-media/|title=US tightens rules on Chinese state media|date=April 8, 2020|work=Hong Kong Free Press|access-date=April 9, 2020|url-status=live|agency=Agence France-Presse|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408222218/https://hongkongfp.com/2020/04/08/us-tightens-rules-on-chinese-state-media/|archive-date=April 8, 2020}} 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.{{Cite news |last1=Jakes |first1=Lara |last2=Myers |first2=Steven Lee |date=2020-02-18 |title=U.S. Designates China's Official Media as Operatives of the Communist State |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/world/asia/china-media-trump.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324074500/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/world/asia/china-media-trump.html |archive-date=2020-03-24 |access-date=2020-05-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Edward |author-link=Edward Wong |date=2020-06-22 |title=U.S. Designates Four More Chinese News Organizations as Foreign Missions |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/us/politics/us-china-news-organizations.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622221012/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/us/politics/us-china-news-organizations.html |archive-date=2020-06-22 |access-date=2020-06-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
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". 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.{{Cite news |last=Boren |first=Cindy |date=2019-12-16 |title=Arsenal star Mesut Özil draws China's wrath after criticizing treatment of Muslim Uighurs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/16/arsenal-star-mesut-ozil-draws-chinas-wrath-after-criticizing-treatment-muslim-uighurs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229175343/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/16/arsenal-star-mesut-ozil-draws-chinas-wrath-after-criticizing-treatment-muslim-uighurs/ |archive-date=29 December 2019 |access-date=2019-12-29 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} 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. 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".{{Cite web |last=Beach |first=Sophie |date=December 7, 2018 |title=Beijing's Evolving Global Media Influence |url=https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2018/12/beijings-evolving-global-media-influence/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190311224953/https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2018/12/beijings-evolving-global-media-influence/ |archive-date=2019-03-11 |access-date=2019-03-11 |website=China Digital Times}}
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.{{Cite web|last=Zhou|first=Laura|date=6 February 2019|title=Chinese state broadcaster registers with US as foreign agent|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2185190/chinese-state-owned-broadcaster-registers-us-foreign-agent|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220022521/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2185190/chinese-state-owned-broadcaster-registers-us-foreign-agent|archive-date=20 February 2020|access-date=27 May 2020|website=South China Morning Post}}{{Cite web|last1=Di Stefano|first1=Mark|last2=Adams|first2=Rosalind|date=February 5, 2019|title=A Leaked Memo Says Chinese State TV Registered As A Foreign Agent "In The Spirit of Cooperation"|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/markdistefano/china-state-media-cgtn-foreign-agent-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109104251/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/markdistefano/china-state-media-cgtn-foreign-agent-us|archive-date=9 November 2019|access-date=2019-12-29|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.inkstonenews.com/politics/us-orders-chinese-state-media-register-foreign-agents/article/2164877 |title=What are Xinhua and CGTN, America's new 'foreign agents'? |access-date=27 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222212820/https://www.inkstonenews.com/politics/us-orders-chinese-state-media-register-foreign-agents/article/2164877 |archive-date=22 February 2020 |url-status=live }}
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. 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 March 8, 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.{{Cite news |last=Mozur |first=Paul |date=2019-03-08 |title=Facing Legal Scrutiny, China's State TV Recalls Its U.S. Head |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/business/china-state-tv-us.html |access-date=2021-02-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2021-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305002127/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/business/china-state-tv-us.html |url-status=live }}
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.
Airing of forced confessions
{{Further|China Global Television Network#Controversies|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.
Awards
In 2016, CGTN America won an Emmy for a feature on Jen Bricker, a gymnast who was born without legs. In 2019, it won 27 White House News Photographers Association awards for its photographic coverage.{{cite book |last=Kurlantzick |first=Joshua |title=Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World |date=2023-03-19 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-751576-1 |pages=137–180 |chapter=The Soft Power Toolkit: Media and Information Coming Through the Front Door |doi=10.1093/oso/9780197515761.003.0006 |author-link=Joshua Kurlantzick}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
{{CCTV}}
{{Television news in the United States}}
Category:China Global Television Network channels
Category:English-language television stations in the United States
Category:24-hour television news channels in the United States
Category:Television channels and stations established in 2012