Several years ago, a girl from Hong Kong came to the Chinese mainland. Almost immediately she was surprised by the media. There was a great deal of “good news?in newspapers and TV programmes.

She was accustomed to the tabloids in Hong Kong, which were always eager to report “bad news?like murders, accidents, conflicts and diseases.

It is easy to understand her reason. Just as people posing before a camera tend to put on big smiles, throw their arms around each other’s shoulders and have an “enjoying-life?look on their faces, we all want to let others see out best side. It is especially true for a state towards its people.

But just as a good photographer will try his best to capture every expression of his models, a good citizen is also eager to know every side of his country. It could be the least pleasant thing to hear that our media’s being caricatured as “controlled by an invisible hand.? A transparent disclosure of information by the authorities will not only establish people’s trust and confidence in the government, but also will help to solve the problems of corruption and bribery in a more efficient way.

With increasingly tough competition within the media and the gradual change of perceptions, there has been a growing level of acceptance that “bad news speaks louder than good news.?More than ever our domestic media shoulders the responsibility of focusing on the seamy side of society. In some aspect, the media has made remarkable growth in their aggressiveness and curiosity.

I hope one day we common folks will be able to see the whole picture of the society.

starcomment@yahoo.com