CCTV FOLLIES: 2.1 Xi wants Putin to win
-Under Xi's command, China state TV favors Russia
-Kremlin gets daily airtime on the top news show
-Russia bombarding Ukraine is regular feature
-Ukraine response inept
-US and NATO root cause
-Supporting Ukraine prolongs the pain
For over 300 days running, CCTV yields to the Kremlin, giving it air time on the news show
Russia brags, intimidates, misleads and makes Ukraine's cause look utterly futile
Russia has Ukraine in its sights: missile launches and attack helicopter assaults are common fare.
"Russia controls Donbass settlements,
Ukraine hits back at amassed Russian firepower"
The Russian Defense Ministry footage is white-washed and one-sided, showing the glory of the launch, but never the terror of the killing.
The Russia-supplied footage is almost entirely pyrotechnics: nothing but bombs and blasts everyday, day after day.
Russia Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov used to introduce the bombing segment on a regular basis but now CCTV cuts to the chase, no longer showcasing the stern, unsmiling Russian face so well-known to viewers of CCTV.
CCTV upgraded with a brief and desultory "Ukraine fights back" segment a few months ago.
A transparent and unsuccessful effort to be "fair and balanced"
Ukraine troops are uniformly show crouching, hiding or covering their ears from the noise, as in this clip from today's news.
Ukraine President Zelensky can't get air time on CCTV. Xi Jinping outright ignores him.
Russia's Foreign Minister frequently graces the Chinese evening news with his dour demeanor. Lavrov mostly spews hate, lies and vile, and complains how unfair it is that the US helps Ukraine.
In his last bromide, Sergey Lavrov says Russia would be open to a "serious proposal" from the United States "aimed at resolving the current situation" but no such serious proposal is on offer.
The Kremlin segment ends with glorious shots of Russian architecture, either the Foreign Ministry building or the Kremlin itself.
-The tone is righteous
-China stands by Russia
-China and Russia are peaceful, principled countries grappling with out-of-control US hegemony
Nearly a year on, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has yet to be acknowledged.
The word "war" is not allowed to enter the extensive coverage. Putin is shown as a great statesman.
As if there were any doubts about which way China is leaning, Xi wants a big state visit to Russia
The first 12 minutes of the news was all Xi all the time, condensed here for sanity.
CCP semiotics require ritualized obedience.
When the cameras on, it's especially important to show slavish devotion.
Hunger for the leader's unique knowledge manifests itself in ink as top politburo members scribble devotedly as Xi talks and talks, mostly chaff off the cuff.
If that's not enough, CCTV is compelled to devote lavish attention to Mr. Xi's latest magazine article.
He's quite the freelance writer, gets published several times a week. Here we get to see the latest manna from heaven, page by glorious page.
(the cave shot is a nice touch)
As for the rest of the country, there are some exaggerated development reports to deliver.
In short, everything's good and getting better, even in Lanzhou.
In a generous gesture to the loyal viewer wearied by so much hard news, some "soft touch" human interest stories.
How about those tires painted to look like a panda?
So cute!
And here's a "sweet" story, CCTV sweet. It's about honey of course, and by the time that joke wears off, you're ready for more.
It turns out that not only do minorities like raising honeybees for honey in full costume, but they are very sweet.
Han tourists like to go camping in minority areas to enjoy sweet nature.
Of course, no cute and cuddly human interest story would be complete without mention of the victorious 20th party congress and the really powerful report produced by the historic meeting.
In international news, CCTV's intrepid Canada-based camera crew found a stylish "anti-war" individual who is against NATO interventions.
(fighter jet on the cap is a nice touch)
Not to be outdone, CCTV's London crew found an office emptied by the transit strike. It's a real scoop, artfully composed and deeply felt.
The desk shot, the one with the unattended folders, is especially poignant.
The world report wraps up with bad weather in Arkansas and the retrieval of a lost radioactive pellet in Australia.
Zai jian!
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