Witness a new dawn: Securing A Good World Press
To mark the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of Shanghai, the city has launched six episodes on the subject.
The documentary series presents the story of the city's liberation from the perspective of the westerners who were in Shanghai in 1949, including diplomats, journalists, doctors and businessmen.
The short films also use English historical material. Besides reports from The New York Times, the Associated Press and Reuters at the time, they also features reports from local English-language newspapers, such as the North China Daily News and The Millard's Review, as well as memoirs, diaries and unpublished oral histories of those who were living in Shanghai at the time.
"I'm going to tell a story that almost no foreigners have ever told," said American professor Andrew Field, guest host of the film series. Field has a background in East Asian history and has lived in Shanghai for more than 20 years.
Professor Andrew Field is guest host of the series of short films.
Fifth episode: Securing A Good World Press
On May 27, 1949, the battle of Shanghai was over. And English language newspapers continued to operate in the city. So, what did they have to say about the Communists?
At that time, foreign reporters in Shanghai were writing overwhelmingly positive news stories about the Communists.
"No Red Pressure", AP Bureau Chief of Shanghai Fred Hampson proclaimed. The good coverage according to him was because of the sharp contract between the old and the new.
Many eyewitness accounts later seemed to confirm those positive reports. "The new authorities have secured a good world press, and by their actions have surmounted any prejudice which might have formerly existed."
