英国记者揭秘新华社

一本题为《瘸腿猪和五环马戏》（Limp Pigs and the five-ring circus, Pen Press）的书，1月在英国出版，作者马克．纽汉姆（Mark Newham）是一名英国记者。马克2004年去北京新华社总部当过一年「专家」，目睹了中共当局用政权捆绑媒体，欺骗世界的行为。回国后，他把他的中国 经历写成了书，向世界「解密」中共宣传机器的中枢——新华社。

伦敦BBC英国广播电台国际台采访马克时，他说，他用英式幽默《瘸腿猪》表达了身处一种体制的束缚而产生的激愤、恼怒感。

马克想藉此传递一个信息：大家都说中国变了，但本质上什么都没变；在媒体行业实际上控制更严，反而倒退了。新华社的经历给他留下了「心理阴影」，得找心理谘询专家帮助调理。

BBC 中文网报导，马克．纽汉姆（Mark Newham）是自由撰稿人。虽然书名是《瘸腿猪和五环马戏》，但马克说，主题跟残疾猪和马戏没有关系，他表示，他在这本书中记录了他作为一个西方资深记 者在中国最高级别的宣传机构--新华社的工作经历、见闻、感受，以及一些思考。

马克表示，《瘸腿猪》的主题是「愤怒」，是一种感到被欺骗的愤怒。

在马克看来，中国政治和社会没有变。那些西方媒体和撰写出版中国题材论着的西方人，大都只看见都市繁华，以为浦东代表了中国，下笔「太客气」。

而持有新华社工作证的他能看到一般外国人看不到的地方和事物，看到的是遊客不去或者不许去的真实中国。

他在书中写到：2008北京奥运会前一段时间中国官方媒体的新闻报导有所放开，但是，随着2008逐渐隐入历史，烟尘卷土重来，媒体自由的控制重新占领北京的大街小巷和中国的互联网。

奥运期间中国对外国媒体和「有害网站」开禁，「松绑」期截止10月17号，而16号政府宣布松绑成为永久政策；在外国记者还没来得及庆贺，就有人注意到外国记者去西藏和新疆采访仍然需要许可证。

马克说，在经济方面，中国有变化，而政治和社会架构好像跟经济轨道脱节，進展缓慢或者在原地踏步，甚至倒退。

他认为原因在于权力架构。英美政客要顾及选民和选票，而中国的官不是选出来的。

一名为Jane的网友说：一般来说，外国人即便在中国生活很久也很难了解这个国家，因为在外国人面前，这里几乎所有的人都在演戏。...我曾是北京的一名记者，我知道每一天谎言怎样被印成漂亮的铅字。

湖北黄石的地方电视台采访群众时，拿写好的内容要求被采访人照着念。

2001 年1月23号，中共中央电视台声称法轮功学员在北京天安门广场集体自焚。几个月后，「国际教育发展组织」于2001年8月14号在联合国会议上声明指出， 所谓「天安门自焚事件」是对法轮功的构陷，涉及惊人的阴谋与谋杀。从录影分析表明，整个事件是「政府一手导演的」。

British reporter demystifies Xinhua News Agency

A new book titled “Limp Pigs and the Five-ring Circus”
by British reporter Mark Newham was published
in the U.K. last month. Newham served as
“foreign expert” at Xinhua News Agency in 2004,
and witnessed how the CCP controlled
propaganda to deceive the world.
His new book tells the secrets of Xinhua News Agency.

Mark Newham said to BBC, he expressed his anger
and frustration caused by a constraining system
in his book through a British sense of humor.

The book conveys a message that China has in fact
not changed, and the situation of media freedom
has even worsened.
Experiences at Xinhua New Agency
left Mark Newham with “psychological shadow,”
which needed psychiatric counseling to clear.

Mark Newham is a freelancer. He says,
despite the title, the book is not about circus.
It is documentation of his experiences, emotions,
and reflections as a Western journalist
inside China』s propaganda machine.

He says the theme of this book is “anger”,
the kind of anger caused by deception.

According to Mark Newham,
China has not changed on the social-political level.
Western media and writers are often blinded
by the economic growth in China, misconceiving
Shanghai』s Pudong as representative of China.

Working for Xinhua News Agency enabled Newham
to access people and places hidden from foreigners,
and allowed him to see the real China.

The book reveals that before the 2008 Olympic games,
media control in China was somewhat loosened.
However, media freedom was quickly diminished
right after the Olympic games.

China opened up to foreign media and so-called
“harmful websites” during the Olympics till Oct. 17,2008.
On Oct. 16, the government announced such access
would become permanent.
But it was immediately noticed that foreign media still
needed permission to report in Tibet and Xinjiang.

Newham remarks that changes in China stop
on the economical level. On the socio-political level,
the development is slow or even reversed.

He believes the problem is in the power structure.
Unlike in Western countries,
government officials in China are not elected.

Internet user “Jane” says: “It』s difficult for foreigners
to truly understand China even after many years of
living in this country, because everyone is putting up
a show in front of foreigners…
I was a reporter in Beijing. I know how
lies are turned into beautiful prints every day.

In Huangshi, Hubei, interviewees for news broadcasts
were asked to read prepared scripts by the TV station.

On Jan. 23, 2001, CCTV claimed that Falun Gong
practitioners were responsible for the Tiananmen
Square self-immolation incident. On Aug. 14, 2001,
International Education Development stated
at the U.N. that video analysis showed
the “Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident” was
“staged by the government” to slander Falun Gong.