英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0311 - 马航事件拷问记者职业道德

Topic1 Journalists must heed ethics in accident coverageAs the whole country prays for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, there is public discussion as to how journalists should balance between news reporting and media ethics.

Family members of the passengers onboard the missing flight have been waiting three days for any word on the fate of the flight in Lido Hotel in Beijing.

Meanwhile, journalists also gather there in order to get a soundbite or a photo from the distraught relatives. Some of them even went hysterical when interviewed by reporters, surrounded by cameras and microphones.

How should the media handle reports under such circumstances?

Topic2 Beijing to Set Limit on Population GrowthThe municipal government of Beijing says the city is processing the data on population growth and it will release an annual cap on population growth in the first half of this year.

Executive vice mayor of Beijing Li Shixiang says the city plans to control its population size through mapping out the city's key functions, and optimizing the allocation of resources.

The control measures are designed to tackle problems which have arisen in the heavily populatedmetropolis, including air pollution and traffic congestion.

Is population a problem in Beijing?

Topic3 China plans to resume nuclear power projectsWang Yumin, deputy director of the National Energy Administration, said in an interview that China plans to resume nuclear power projects. Those along the coast will be started first, and that inland projects will be listed in the next five-year plan.

This again raises concern on whether such projects are absolutely safe for nearby residents.

Today is the three-year anniversary of the Japanese Fukushima nuclear crisis. After the tragedy, China suspended approvals of new reactors while it conducted safety inspections and drafted new safety standards. Why resume nuclear projects now?

Topic4 One day weekendSanya Mayor and NPC deputy Wang Yong had a creative idea about China's public holidays which he believes can allow people to have more long holidays without actually taking more days off. He suggests that current two-day weekend should be cut to one day and the last weekend of each month is prolonged to four days.

Wang says Sanya is overcrowded during each Golden Week. Restaurants which are only able to serve two tables of guests have to serve 10. If people can have longer holiday every month, Sanya's problem will be partly solved.

Does he have a point?

Topic5 College Students Mail Dirty Clothes HomeRecently, an official from State Post Bureau says college students sending their dirty clothes home and their families sending the clean clothes back have become a regular service for the delivery industry.

Is it true? Why do the college students do so?