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In just two days, the 2008 Beijing Olympics will begin, symbolized by the lighting of the Olympic Flame. International media have brought China under unprecedented scrutiny this year, most notably with the Tibetan uprising and the Sichuan earthquake. With this coverage now peaking, many questions have been raised about the Chinese government’s control over public services, specifically the Chinese media. In her new book, China Ink: The Changing Face of Chinese Journalism, former journalist and current journalism professor Judy Polumbaum addresses how the Chinese media deal with controversial issues. Through interviews with 20 energetic journalists who carry a sense of social responsibility, Polumbaum presents the Chinese media’s struggle for respect, professionalism, and freedom of speech, to a Western readership.

GUEST: Judy Polumbaum, former newspaper reporter, professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Iowa