The danger of 'shock and awe'

Every reporter worth his or her salt knows that when 5,000 lawmakers and political advisers converge on Beijing every year for the two sessions, the gathering offers an incomparable opportunity to mine stories or obtain quotes from otherwise elusive newsmakers.

But when I see dozens of reporters "ganging up" on an important military representative at the gate of the Great Hall of the People during the CPPCC session, and resorting to all sorts of tactics to elicit or provoke a single word from him on the China-US military situation, I realize that his comments may have been forced, edited, taken out of context or downright fake.

These antics by reporters can risk turning a major news event into a media circus. Journalists must be reminded of objective and responsible reporting, but newsmakers must also realize the gravity of their words and the repercussions of any irresponsible outburst.