Netizens Say, "A Pay Cut Won't Be the End of It"
A controversy has arisen after an anchor for China's state-run China Central Television (CCTV) mistakenly pronounced the word "motherland" as "two countries" while delivering news about Taiwan.
According to Sing Tao Daily Hong Kong on May 21, the broadcasting mishap occurred the previous day while reporting the position of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China regarding the first anniversary press conference of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's inauguration. The official statement read, "No matter what the leader of Taiwan (Lai Ching-te) says, the status and fact that Taiwan is a part of China will not change. The eventual unification of the motherland is also inevitable."
However, during the "Gongtong Guanzhu" program on CCTV, the female anchor mispronounced "motherland" as "two countries," which implies two separate nations. She immediately realized her mistake and corrected herself, saying, "The unification of the motherland is inevitable." Nevertheless, her delivery noticeably slowed down and she began to stammer. The video in question is currently unavailable on CCTV's official website.
The verbal slip was widely reported by Taiwanese media and became a hot topic among Taiwanese netizens. Some expressed concern, saying, "She might disappear from the CCTV news channel," and "Her life is ruined." Other netizens commented, "In other countries, this might be dismissed as a simple mistake, but in China, it is a very serious matter," and "A mistake of this magnitude cannot end with just a pay cut."
Some have argued that not only the anchor but also her superiors could face punishment, as CCTV is known to enforce strict internal standards regarding broadcasting errors.
CCTV classifies on-air incidents on its main evening news program "Xinwen Lianbo" into four levels: A, B, C, and D. It is said that an A-level mistake requires immediate resignation. Former anchor Liu Yiying stated, "Mistakes on 'Xinwen Lianbo' do not end with a simple fine," adding, "A fine is actually the lightest form of punishment." She further explained, "At CCTV, a joint responsibility system is enforced, so not only the anchor but also those in charge can be penalized together." A representative example of an A-level mistake is confusing "the western coast of the strait" with "the two sides of the Taiwan Strait" (referring to China and Taiwan).
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