"Don't Tarnish China"... German Reporter Faces Angry Crowd During Coverage

A Happening Caused by Some Citizens Mistaking a British BBC Reporter
Foreign Media Opposition Campaign Launched in China Since February Broadcast Ban
"Fear of China's Media Environment" Concerns Also Raised

German journalist Matthias Beringer recently visited a region in China and was nearly attacked after being surrounded by an angry crowd. / Photo by Twitter Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A German journalist covering the recent heavy rains in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, was reportedly threatened after being surrounded by local residents. The incident occurred due to a misunderstanding, as the locals mistook the journalist for Robin Brandt, a correspondent from the British public broadcaster BBC. However, concerns continue to grow over how some Chinese citizens treat foreign journalists.

According to overseas media such as the British Guardian, on the 24th (local time), Matthias Beringer, a journalist from the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, was nearly attacked after being surrounded by an angry crowd while reporting in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.

Beringer had visited the area to cover the flooding that occurred in Zhengzhou. The provincial capital of Henan experienced a record-breaking rainfall of 758mm over four days from the 17th to the 20th. This amount exceeded the annual average precipitation (640mm) by about 100mm in just four days.

As a result, some parts of Zhengzhou suffered power and water outages, the subway was flooded, and it is reported that over 200,000 citizens have been urgently evacuated so far.

While reporting on the hardships faced by local residents, Beringer reportedly encountered some angry crowds. On the 26th, he detailed the situation he experienced on his Twitter account.

This incident was a misunderstanding caused by local residents mistaking Mr. Beringer for another reporter. However, Mr. Beringer expressed concern, saying, "The recent media environment in China is very frightening." / Photo by Twitter capture

On that day, Beringer went out to report near a shopping center and was surrounded by several people. About ten men approached him, showing a photo of Robin Brandt, the BBC China correspondent, and asked, "Is this you?" They then started shouting insults such as "bad guy" and "don't tarnish China's reputation."

When Beringer explained, "I am not Brandt," the citizens calmed down, and some even apologized to him.

Earlier in February, the UK revoked the broadcasting license of China's CGTV, citing that the channel was operated under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. In response, China banned the airing of BBC World News within its borders, accusing it of deliberately damaging China's reputation.

Regarding this, Beringer explained on his Twitter, "There is a campaign against BBC News among Chinese state media and nationalists."

He added, "On Weibo (a Chinese social networking service), posts demanding action against me appeared. I don't know what would have happened if I had been that (Brandt) correspondent," expressing his concern by saying, "The current media environment in China is very frightening."