<轉載自2024年3月18日 明報 社評>
河北省三河市上周發生爆炸案,釀成7人死亡,27人受傷。央視記者在現場採訪遭到警察與工作人員強行驅趕,有關短片在網上流傳,全國嘩然。事後該地方政府發表聲明,對採用「簡單粗暴」方法處理表示道歉,並對工作中的不足表示「深感自責」。事件暫且平息,但引發的討論不絕,對於民眾如何獲得準確全面的消息,作為判斷意見的根據,以及媒體監督政府的功能是否能夠獲得足夠保障,仍然莫衷一是。
推搡記者驅離現場手法粗暴 道歉聲明避重就輕難息民憤
毗鄰北京的廊坊三河市發生燃氣泄漏爆炸案,多家媒體記者迅速趕赴採訪報道,卻遭到在場警察和工作人員推搡驅離。事後三河市政府的聲明表示,原因是由於救援人員發現,「事故現場仍然存在泄漏風險,建議所有非救援人員全部撤離到警戒線以外」。這樣的解釋是合情合理的。而「由於一線工作人員溝通能力不強,方式方法粗暴簡單。引發了記者朋友的誤解和輿論的質疑,產生了不良社會影響」,僅此而已。這樣的澄清,則有避重就輕的問題。
突發事件的現場處理,合理的做法是拉起警戒線,將非救援人員隔離,以免妨礙救援人員救死扶傷和防止次生意外的發生。而這次事件的警戒線已經在500米以外,是否合理範圍,本已成疑。若然確實是因為臨時發現,危險元素擴大,延伸警戒範圍,記者也應該配合。由於記者之後的報道戛然而止,現場是否確實泄漏天然氣進一步擴散,則無從得知,三河市政府的解釋是否合理,也無從判斷。
內地地方政府粗暴對待記者,不回應現場記者的提問,只在事後發表「官方通報」,簡單交代事發經過和處置結果,這種處理手法不時發生。這次罕有的情况是,中國記協在第一時間在網上發表聲明《正當採訪是記者的權利》。該聲明明確表示,發生重大安全事故,民眾都在期盼了解更多信息,記者的專業採訪,可以回應民眾關切,制止謠言傳播,記者的專業採訪並非添亂,而且網絡信息易滋生謠言,質疑「一紙通稿真能代替現場報道嗎?」
記協的聲明呼籲,「要為記者採訪提供便利,不能為了控制輿情,簡單粗暴阻撓媒體記者正常履職」。其實,對於如何處置這樣的訴求,各級政府並非「視若無睹」,過去也曾禮聘大學教授給官員傳授危機處置的公關方法,若能得到教科書式的真傳,制定好預案,往往能夠趨吉避凶。而小地方的官員未必訓練有素,也是實情,但問題不在於政府官員不懂得處理,也並非在於訓練不足。
中國記協的三連問,還引發民眾在網上繼續衍生更多的「三問」。焦點集中追問記者採訪與政府應對突發事件是否必然矛盾,政府面對媒體和公眾的訴求應當如何處置,究竟應該在等待處理「圓滿結束」後才通報,還是要顧及網絡社會對信息時效性的需求。
政府官員的邏輯很簡單,凡事按政府的角度出發,處置安全事故的第一責任是救援和防止傷害擴大,在「壓倒一切」的責任面前,任何其他事情都要讓路和押後。而不去考慮其他的利益相關方對準確全面信息的訴求,而能夠滿足民眾這方面訴求的是公正客觀報道的記者,及時傳遞信息,制止可能造成公眾恐慌的謠言傳播,或者對政府的不合理指摘。政府官員有責任協助記者獲得相關的信息,以最快的速度盡量提供愈多愈好的信息。
疫情期間封城造成民怨沸騰 尊重知情權是最好處置手法
三年疫情,政府應該懂得汲取教訓,武漢封城,民眾如何就診,如何獲得食物,如何避免感染,都要依靠媒體及時傳遞正確的消息。上海和廣州封城,由於民眾未能及時得到準確信息,導致抗拒配合隔離措施,造成民怨沸騰和未能有效減低病毒傳播速度,記憶猶新。謠言和不正確信息流傳,在現今的網絡世界,是禁無可禁,謠言與正確信息都在搶時間、搶地盤。疫情過去時間不長,政府官員怎麼這麼快就「好了瘡疤忘了痛」。
這次河北三河市阻撓記者正當採訪事件,中國記協呼籲「記者如實報道現場情况,冷靜專業客觀進行報道,遵守新聞倫理規範,能最大程度緩解公眾焦慮、保障人民群眾的知情權」。這種苦口婆心的勸誡,三河市官員立即順應民意,發表道歉聲明,目的只是為了將洶湧的民情「降溫」,今後是否依然故我,或者其他地方的政府官員是否也會依樣畫葫蘆,學會「息事寧人」的招數,而不是認真地思考,記者及時傳遞準確信息其實是在協助政府處置突發事件,民眾的知情權是不能被忽視的正當訴求。
中國是單一制國家,所有的權力來自政府,何時放權以及放權多寡,完全取決於政府的態度。接受輿論監督,並非一紙空文或者流於口號,輿論監督用法得宜,不但可以妥善處理社會事件,也是跟民眾共建和諧社會的要素。
Proper Handling of
Supervision by Public Opinion on the Mainland
AN EXPLOSION erupted
last week in Sanhe City, Hebei Province, which killed seven people and injured
27 others. At the scene, CCTV reporters covering the explosion were roughly
dispersed by police and people working there. Footage showing the incident is
widely circulated on the internet, causing an uproar across the country.
The gas leakage and
explosion occurred in Sanhe City, Langfang, which is adjacent to Beijing.
Reporters from several media outlets rushed to the scene to cover the incident,
only to be driven away by police and workers there. Afterwards, the Sanhe
government released a statement, explaining that rescuers discovered ''the risk
of leakage remained at the site of the incident'', so they recommended that
''all non-rescue personnel retreat beyond the cordon''. This explanation is
reasonable and justified.
The statement also said,
''The front-line staff had poor communication skills, and their methods were
rough and unsophisticated. This caused misunderstandings among journalists and
doubts from the public, resulting in adverse social effects''. But there was
nothing more. Such clarification is evading the important and dwelling on the
trivial.
When handling
emergencies at a scene, the reasonable practice is to form a cordon and keep
non-rescue personnel off the area. This not only ensures that rescue personnel
are not being hindered from saving lives and helping the wounded, but also
prevents the occurrence of derivative accidents. In this incident, the cordon
was formed 500 metres away from the explosion. It is questionable whether such
a wide area should be cordoned off.
If there was indeed a
sudden discovery and dangerous elements were spreading, the journalists should
have complied with the widening of the warning area. As the reporter's coverage
came to an abrupt end afterwards, it is impossible to know whether the leakage
of natural gas did spread further and whether the explanation of the Sanhe
government was reasonable.
It is not uncommon for
mainland local governments to treat reporters roughly, refuse to respond to
questions from reporters at the scene, and only issue post-incident ''official
reports'' to briefly explain what happened and how the matter was resolved.
What is rare this time is that immediately after the incident, the All-China
Journalists Association issued an online statement titled ''Legitimate coverage
is the right of journalists''.
In the statement, the
association states that when a major safety incident occurs, the public is keen
to get more information. It says journalists' professional coverage can address
public concerns and stop the spread of rumours. Journalists' professional
coverage does not complicate matters; information circulating on the internet,
in contrast, can easily lead to rumours. The association asks, ''Can a press
release really substitute for coverage at the scene?'' It also pleads for
''efforts to facilitate journalists' coverage'', adding that ''one should not
simple-mindedly and roughly prevent journalists from discharging their normal
duties in order to control public opinion''.
China is a unitary
state, with all power coming from the government. It is entirely up to the
government when and how much power is delegated. Accepting the supervision of
public opinion should not be empty words or merely a slogan. Proper supervision
by public opinion will not only ensure social events are handled properly, but
also be integral to building a harmonious society together with the people.
突發事件管理採訪失誤事小 處理輿論監督不得其法事大
河北省三河市上周發生爆炸案,釀成7人死亡,27人受傷。央視記者在現場採訪遭到警察與工作人員強行驅趕,有關短片在網上流傳,全國嘩然。
毗鄰北京的廊坊三河市發生燃氣泄漏爆炸案,多家媒體記者迅速趕赴採訪報道,卻遭到在場警察和工作人員推搡驅離。事後三河市政府的聲明表示,原因是由於救援人員發現,「事故現場仍然存在泄漏風險,建議所有非救援人員全部撤離到警戒線以外」。這樣的解釋是合情合理的。
而「由於一線工作人員溝通能力不強,方式方法粗暴簡單。引發了記者朋友的誤解和輿論的質疑,產生了不良社會影響」,僅此而已。這樣的澄清,則有避重就輕的問題。
突發事件的現場處理,合理的做法是拉起警戒線,將非救援人員隔離,以免妨礙救援人員救死扶傷和防止次生意外的發生。而這次事件的警戒線已經在500米以外,是否合理範圍,本已成疑。
若然確實是因為臨時發現,危險元素擴大,延伸警戒範圍,記者也應該配合。由於記者之後的報道戛然而止,現場是否確實泄漏天然氣進一步擴散,則無從得知,三河市政府的解釋是否合理,也無從判斷。
內地地方政府粗暴對待記者,不回應現場記者的提問,只在事後發表「官方通報」,簡單交代事發經過和處置結果,這種處理手法不時發生。這次罕有的情况是,中國記協在第一時間在網上發表聲明《正當採訪是記者的權利》。
該聲明明確表示,發生重大安全事故,民眾都在期盼了解更多信息,記者的專業採訪,可以回應民眾關切,制止謠言傳播,記者的專業採訪並非添亂,而且網絡信息易滋生謠言,質疑「一紙通稿真能代替現場報道嗎?」記協的聲明呼籲,「要為記者採訪提供便利,不能為了控制輿情,簡單粗暴阻撓媒體記者正常履職」。
中國是單一制國家,所有的權力來自政府,何時放權以及放權多寡,完全取決於政府的態度。接受輿論監督,並非一紙空文或者流於口號,輿論監督用法得宜,不但可以妥善處理社會事件,也是跟民眾共建和諧社會的要素。