Professional Exchanges
China Media Centre Briefings
The China Media Centre, launched by Jeremy Paxman and Sun Yusheng, Deputy DG of China Central Television, in 2005, is a research institute of the University of Westminster. Its Director is Professor Hugo de Burgh; Alja Kranjec is China Media Centre Manager, Chang Yiru is Clien Liaison Manager and Dr Zeng Rong is responsible for maintaining contacts with Chinese institutions. There is a team of Post Doctoral Fellows and PhD Candidates, all are Chinese speakers.
CMC projects are undertaken with the School of Media, Arts and Design, and in particular with its Department of Journalism & Mass Communications. After financing the CMC itself, income from commercial activities is used to fund scholarships and other research-related activities.
CMC provides briefing courses for Chinese media organizations and government institutes in these main areas:
- Government-media relations
- Creativity & Innovation in the UK Broadcast Media
- New Media
- Story Telling in Factual Programming
- City Branding.
CMC has managed briefings on the UK television industry for Beijing TV, Hunan Broadcasting (producers of ‘Supergirl’), Shanghai Media Group and Nanfang TV.
It has managed 7 courses for 380 of the most senior government media handlers in China selected by the State Council Information Office. In 2007 CMC designed and managed the Westminster Hearings on China’s Impact on the UK, 5 conferences held in Parliament with the participation of ministers and experts from both countries.
Briefings delivered in China
We have delivered Briefings on European media in China on behalf of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, (FCO) Danish & Swedish Governments (IMS), China Central Television and the State Council Information Office, China (SCIO) These have been delivered by Nick Davies of The Guardian, Paul Kenyon, presenter of Kenyon Confronts, Kevin Sutcliffe, Head of Factual Programmes at Channel Four and Steve Hewlett, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The Media Show and Guardian columnist as well as CMC staff.
Reporting in the UK—A Study Trip for Hong Kong Financial Journalists
MA students from Hong Kong Baptist University, specialising in Financial Journalism, attended the CMC study visit “Financial and economic reporting in the UK”. The delegation was led by Professor Huang Yu, Head of the Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Innovation and Creativity in UK Media
In October 2009 CMC launched another first, a course specially designed for Chinese TV executives by Dr Zeng Rong entitled Innovation, creativity and programme development in UK television. This course was full and has been running since.
City Branding and International Communications
This course is aimed at mid-career professionals in, respectively, the broadcast industry and the public spokesperson track within regional and city government administrations.
Each course includes a few days out with London; in Scotland, a programme introducing the visitors to Scottish public affairs has been hosted several times by John Brown, the PR expert who is brother to the recent Prime Minister. One of the courses for government officials visited Northern Ireland and the next one will be briefed in Cardiff on Welsh devolution.
The Organisation and Skills of UK Public Communication
Also planned for this year is a course ‘The Organisation and Skills of UK Public Communication‘, aimed at national level media specialists, and indications so far are that it will be attended by high ranking civil servants and the heads of public affairs of some of China’s largest state-owned corporations.
State Council of the PRC, Information Office
2010
The highest-level ever delegation from China’s State Council Information Office (SCIO) took a course led by recent BBC Director of Communications Sally Osman. Among the highlights were a colloquy with the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for China at Westminster; a lecture from Sir Martin Sorrell, Chairman of WPP and a briefing from the Government of Wales in Cardiff.
2009
Delegation from China’s State Council Information Office undertook a three week course designed for the China Media Centre by Simon Goldsworthy and Visiting Professor Trevor Morris, experts in branding and PR. Among the highlights were a colloquy with Lord Bell and senior figures at Chime Communications plc; visits to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet Office, the BBC and the Guardian Newspaper; talks about advertising from Sir Chris Powell and on the use of new media from former Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson MP; and a lecture in Edinburgh from John Brown, a PR expert who formerly shared an office at Scottish TV with his brother the current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and CMC Director Professor Hugo de Burgh.
Summer Schools
The China Media Centre has held its first 2 Summer Schools for Chinese media students. In July 2009 this was directed by former Reuters Editor Paul Majendie and in September by TV producer Dr Richard Wright.
The students both learnt about the European media and undertook practical tasks, making TV features under the direction of Journalism Head of Department Geoffrey Davies.
Both summer schools were managed by Alja Kranjec.
Read more about the Summer Schools.
Media Teaching Roadshow
CMC travels to China to teach teachers about how the British teach both theory and practice. In July 2010 a team held classes at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, arguably the most important university of the whole southwest. Leading academics Professor Jeanette Steemers and Dr Anthony McNicholas joined David Gyimah and Geoffrey Davies for the week long session.
Shenzhen Media Group Briefing
Shenzhen TV has sent a team of 15 producers from light entertainment and news programmes under Mr Li Yeping to meet UK producers and to learn how innovation and creativity are fostered in the British television industry. Among others, they are meeting Paul Jackson at ITV, Freemantle TV, Endemol and Tiger Aspect. They will see some programmes in production or at transmission. Shenzhens team is in London from 21 Feb to 23 Mar and the programme is designed and led by Geoffrey Davies, Senior Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism and Head of the Department of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Westminster.
China Media Handling Project: 2007
China Media Centre/Foreign & Commonwealth Office/Tsinghua University
China Media Centre, in conjunction with FCO and Tsinghua University, organised five very successful workshops in China this summer under the leadership of Professor Ivor Gaber. The goal of the workshops was to involve Chinese journalist and press officers in a nationwide programme covering Beijing, Guangdong, Chongqing and Nanjing, giving the participants a chance to share thoughts and experiences with Western journalists. Each workshop covered general media issues that arise between the Chinese media and Western journalists, as well as particular specialist areas. The two workshops in Beijing focussed on sport reporting and on politics. The workshop in Nanjing focussed on business reporting and in Chongqing participants explored social issues. In Guangdong environmental reporting was discussed.
The workshops were attended by journalists, senior press and propaganda officers from a wide range of central and local government organisations and the Beijing Olympics Committee. In addition, a group of 10 senior Chinese officials attended a course in London in December 2007.
The workshops were coordinated by Professor Ivor Gaber.
The following UK journalists were also involved:
- Rob Walker - sports reporting
- Paul Lashmar - business and social issues
- Andrew Veitch - environmental reporting
- Lance Price - political reporting
- Jonathan Watts the Guardians Beijing correspondent
- Nick Mackie the BBC correspondent based in Chongqing
State Council Information Office Course: 30 June 18 July 2007
The State Council of the People's Republic of China, namely the Central People's Government, is the highest executive organ of State power, as well as the highest organ of State administration.
The State Council Information Office (SCIO) have invited the University of Westminsters China Media Centre to deliver a high level briefing on UK Government media relations in July this year.
Twenty senior members of the SCIO staff spent two weeks in London learning about how the British government deals with the media, visiting senior UK media handlers, Downing Street and the BBC. Lectures were delivered by both University of Westminster experts and leading media practitioners such as Lord Bell, director of Thatcher government media campaigns and consultant to Rupert Murdoch.
If you would like more details about the projects, please contact Alja Kranjec: a.kranjec@westminster.ac.uk.
Our sponsors
CMC acknowledges the support of
- Quintin Hogg Trust
- Westmarc McKinsey & Co
- Royal Bank of Scotland
- BP
- All Party Parliamentary Group on China
- Trade & Industry Committee of the House of Commons
- Norton Rose
- Leverhulme Trust
- British Academy
- Research Council UK
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office (Public Diplomacy Challenge Fund)
