How investigative journalism works in China

[Cain]

http://digicha.com/index.php/2011/08/cctv-attacks-baidu-again/

CCTV of course has an agenda, and there are several viable conspiracy theories behind this report. The 2008 expose of Baidu was basically a shakedown of the company. After Baidu bought 100m or so RMB in advertising around CCTV's 2009 Spring Gala, CCTV left the firm alone. It is a bit early to be buying ads for the 2012 Spring Gala, but perhaps CCTV has a Q4 budget hole to fill.

An established competitor such as Tencent, Alibaba or Sohu ($SOHU) may have commissioned this report, as could one of the two startup, state-backed search engines (Jike and Panguso), neither of which have much hope of competing against Baidu without using "regulatory innovation".

Since Google's 2010 retreat, Baidu has become an effective monopoly in Internet search. It is unlikely the government is pleased with Baidu's market power and the CCTV report may be a sign that Baidu should expect increased scrutiny and regulation.

Quite interesting, really.  I had noticed some Baidu bots here, a few days ago, so I guess we aren't blocked by the Great Firewall of China, which is surprising.

[Doktor Howl]

"Regulatory innovation"?

[Cain]

Chinese rhetoric is generally quite amusing to an Anglophone ear, when translated.

I'm sure I recall one official Chinese statement about how criticism of their human rights record "hurt the feelings" of the citizens of China.

[Doktor Howl]

Chinese rhetoric is generally quite amusing to an Anglophone ear, when translated.

I'm sure I recall one official Chinese statement about how criticism of their human rights record "hurt the feelings" of the citizens of China.

I don't have to miss the Russkies anymore! 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Very interesting. I have every reason to believe that's how investigative journalism works in the US, as well.

[Cain]

Quite probably.  It definitely was like this in Italy, and presumably this would carry over to any corruption-tolerating political culture (so Belgium, the USA etc)