1984_Thematic_Article_Discussion

1984 Thematic Article Discussion I. Works Cited: "China Government Tightens Media Controls - Channel NewsAsia." Web log post. Channel NewsAsia - Latest News, Singapore, Asia, World and Business News - Channelnewsasia.com. 15 Oct. 2011. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. . II. Main Idea: The Chinese government is struggling to control the use of online sites in an effort to hinder social unrest and public anger towards different aspects of their Communist system and its officials. III. Fact/Opinion a) “China has repeatedly vowed to clamp down on these ‘rumors’ after a fatal high-speed rail crash in July sparked furious debate” b) “Increased controls are likely to raise users’ ire…” IV. Paraphrase a) "The reform of the cultural system" is on the agenda for a four-day annual meeting of top Communist Party officials that begins on Saturday -- a term widely seen as including measures to ensure media and Internet firms serve the authorities' aims.” b) Communist leaders will attend a meeting to discuss how to further control the already tight reigns on culture in their country, and how to provide propaganda to make themselves look even better. V. Tone a) Impartial b) “China's propaganda authorities are trying to tighten controls over the Internet as they fear social unrest in the face of a cooling economy and mounting public anger at official corruption, analysts say.” VI. Inference a) “ ‘There is no doubt these are sensitive times in China. The country faces immense social and economic challenges," said Bandurski, who runs the university's China Media Project.” b) China thinks that by limiting access to information about these challenges they can control the population more easily. VII. Thematic Link a) Both the article and the novel 1984 convey a theme that in totalitarian society, technology can often be used to facilitate falsification. b) Evidence from Novel: “And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed-if all records told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past” (Orwell 23).