为什么《大中报》可从夹缝中生存

 

 

因为互联网和电子媒体巨头（如谷歌和脸书）的迅猛发展，加拿大的印刷媒体面临巨大挑战，其商业模式四面楚歌。由于广告收入持续下滑，全加拿大印刷媒体的新闻部面临财务危机，小型报刊更是厄运难逃。近年来，多伦多包括著名的《世界日报》在内的华人报刊在这场危机面前不得不束手就缚，以倒闭关门而告终。

Amid growing power of the internet and rise of digital media giants, such as Google and Facebook, print media faces unprecedented challenges. Sharply declined advertising revenue has left many newsrooms across print platforms facing financial crisis, putting the survival of newspapers – particularly the local community papers at peril. In recent years, many publications in the Chinese community in Toronto – including the prominent World Journal - has succumbed to the crisis and met their demise. 

随着印刷媒体的危机进一步恶化，服务于多伦多华人社区近25年的《大中报》也经历了同样的挑战。很多人问道：是什么让《大中报》在这场危机中幸免于难，并能在残酷的媒体时代生存并不断成长？

 

Amid the crisis that has deepened the wound over time, Chinese News, which has served the community for over two decades, has faced similar challenges. Many have asked: why Chinese News can beat the odds, stay open and be thrive in this print media crisis?

答案很简单：在多年服务于社区过程中，《大中报》一直遵循新闻自由原则，努力维护加拿大的价值观。《大中报》的宗旨从来都是致力于服务那些为寻求民主而逃离独裁政府，那些为摆脱政府强权而追求政治信仰自由，以及那些为摈弃狭隘的民族主义而拥抱西方文明的读者们。

The answer is simple: throughout the years, Chinese News has practiced Western journalism and upheld Canadian values. It has followed a mandate to serve the needs of those readers – who have escaped from an authoritarian state to come to a democratic country; who rejected the tightening grip of the government to enjoy political freedom; who abandoned narrow-minded nationalism to embrace western values. 

《大中报》为这些读者撑腰，替他们说话。

Chinese News stands behind these readers and voices their concerns. 

随着中国经济实力日益增长，中国政府一直试图扩大对加拿大的影响力， 其触角伸及加国社会各个角落，从议会到媒体，从商界到侨民社区，威胁作为民主社会支柱的加国新闻自由 ，并将目标对准那些公开批评中国专制政府的人士。

 

Wielding a growing economic clout, the Chinese government has been trying to extend its influence into Canada – from the Parliament to the media, and from the business communities to the overseas diaspora, threatening to destroy the freedom of the press, the pillar of democratic society. Morover, it has put those who are outspoken against Chinese authoritarian government in its crosshair.

中国政府的这种行径扼杀了华人社区的言论自由，迫使越来越多的华人媒体沦为中国政府的代言人。许多社区报刊因害怕遭到广告商抵制或失去中国提供的报业商机而屈服于中国政府的压力，选择与专制政府眉来眼去，并频频表达对北京的耿耿忠心。

Its aggressive efforts have hurt independent voices from the Chinese community, leaving media facing growing pressure to advance Beijing’s interest. Amid a widespread fear of advertiser’s boycott and loss of distribution deals with Chinese state publications, the majority of community newspapers in Toronto have bowed to the pressure, choosing to court the authoritarian government and to express loyalty to Beijing.

但是《大中报》却是社区里为数不多，敢与这种趋势背道而驰，捍卫媒体独立性纸媒之一。多年前，《大中报》的发行人贾宁扬拒绝了中国驻多伦多总领事馆不接受法轮功广告的要求，显示出《大中报》欲成为社区独立媒体之声的态度和立场。 

 

Chinese News is one of the few print media outlets in the community that have bucked the trend, trying to maintain its media independents. Several years ago, Jack Jia, the publisher of the paper, turned down a China’s consul general’s request to stop publishing ads from Falun Gong, demonstrating the paper’s intention to become an independent voice in the community.

近年来，虽然《大中报》为中国经济成就而自豪，但它一直遵循西方新闻的报道风格，对中国政府从打击言论自由到践踏人权的种种行为进行了无畏的批评。《大中报》报道了中国权利机构对异见人士的残酷打压，揭露了中国政府对弱势群体的欺凌和虐待。我们还报道了因中国司法系统将商业纠纷刑事升级后一名加国华裔企业家的悲惨遭遇。

 

 In recent years, while being proud of China’s economic achievements, Chinese News has, by following mainstream media reports, been outspoken of China’s authoritarian regime – from its crackdown on free speech to abusive practice against human rights.  We have revealed the authorities’ violence against the dissidents and freedom activists in China and exposed how Chinese government mistreated marginalized groups. We have also reported the plight of a Chinese Canadian entrepreneur whose commercial dispute has been criminalized by Chinese judiciary system. 

《大中报》的这种致于摆脱政府或企业利益干扰的独立精神 赢得了社会各界的尊重。许多读者来信，表达对《大中报》的钦佩。社区的支持让本报拥有一批忠实读者，使其网站096和社交媒体微信上的点击率大幅上升。 

Our media independence – being free of influence by government or corporate interests -- has earned respect from the community, with readers’ letters pouring in to express their admiration for our efforts. The community support has translated into readers’ loyalty and rising traffic on both our website (096.ca) and social media (WeChat). 

《大中报》的生存证实，独立，自由的新闻媒体在华人社区必不可少。

The very survival of our paper is a testament towards the necessity of independent journalism in the Chinese community.