Tags:
Journalism of Courage
On July 22nd the moons shadow fell across Chinas industrial heartland in the longest total solar eclipse the 21st century will witness. Never before have so many people lived under an eclipses path. Like other ancient civilisations,China has traditionally seen eclipses as ominous. A government directive ordered officials to combat superstition and terror,watch out for traffic accidents caused by distracted motorists and prevent stampedes. On state-run television,an anti-cult expert warned viewers against being taken in by people with ulterior motives. Local governments,however,vied to cash in on the tourism opportunities afforded by foreign eclipse-watchers flocking to China. It was cloudy or rainy. Had the weather been better,citizens of Shanghai would have seen the moon-covered sun rising over the financial district for nearly six minutes. Official newspapers were probably glad not to have to second-guess censors concerns about that kind of imagery. Shanghais stockmarket was unfazed. Share prices saw their biggest gains in seven weeks. In the international year of astronomy,markets,at least,seem less superstitious than they were see article.
The Economist Newspaper Limited 2009
