Jennifer Dunn , 20:48
Earnest, Intimate, Thoughtful
It's rare to find a piece of China reporting this in-depth, sound rich, and pleasant to listen to. Journalists don't often do a good job reporting on rural issues, and especially on China, their reporting runs the risk of coming off as patronizing or unsympathetic. This piece also touches on difficult political issues without demonizing the Chinese government, another pitfall.
I'm a fan of its pacing -- it's voiced slowly, with several longer passages of Mandarin, which I think is interesting, even to audiences who don't speak the language. The majority of the voices are of women -- and the degree of connection formed between the reporter and subject is apparent. I'm curious about the circumstances of the interviews and wonder if this level of work would be allowed for full-time journalists in the country.
Will Thomson
Boston, MA
December 20, 2004
Members of China's floating population recount their hopes and challenges as rural-urban migrants.
Mary McGrath
