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Dream of the Republic （4）
Harbinger of the Press |
| CCTV.COM 2002-08-21 13:08:19 |
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In National Library, "Truth Pictorial", first published in 1912, has been well kept. As a photographic journal, the first of its kind in China, it has recorded all the new scenes in the early period of the republic. The large photo in the first issue presented a full view of the three towns of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang. Gunshots were discharged from here for the 1911 Revolution a few months ago. Its concern for reality attracted many readers.
Four members of the Revolutionary League resigned on July 1, 1913. The pictorial reported the event on the same day with a lifelike picture denouncing dictatorship.
 On August 25, 1912, an exciting flying performance ended in misfortune. People got their first impression of the airplane from that event. The brave challenger was Feng Ru, father of China's pilots. Many people got the information of the whole process of the event through reading the pictorial.
Reporters took pictures of people's life and society with the camera, a new product at that time. Farmers working hard in the fields in south China, sceneries of Shanghai after snow, modern women in Guangdong and reviewing of a military parade on National Day in Beijing. The pictorial published every 10 days told people what had happened. In Beijing, the capital, the changeable situation in the political arena attracted a reporter who had keen eyesight. He was Huang Yuansheng, a well－known figure in the press who was a symbol of freedom and justice in public opinion. He commented current affairs with great insight and a trenchant pen. As a harbinger in the history of Chinese press, he became a major spokesman for common people to participate in managing the state affairs with many of his current－affairs reports.
"He had a good grounding in theory and a correct analysis of current situation in the political field. He could also foresee the future of development for society. That was why he could draw a correct conclusion on problems that came up. He said that was why 80 to 90 per cent of his comments were correct," recalls Shen Yongbao, Associate Professor of the Chinese Department of Fu Dan University.
Huang Yuansheng was brave enough to predict the current political situation in February of 1913. He reminded people not to place the country's future on Yuan Shikai. His comment was very important at that time.
 In Shanghai, the new building of Jie Fang Daily and the old building of Shen Bao （The Shun Pao） face each other across a street. They seem to tell us the history of Chinese press in the past 100 years. In 1912, Shi Liangcai purchased Shen Bao's property right with 120,000 silver dollars. This Chinese newspaper once in a foreigner's hand for 40 years now became the forum of public opinion on freedom for Chinese people. It made a breakthrough for Chinese press by adopting a new layout and a system of sole responsibility for its profits and losses.
In the early days of the national republic, open public opinion became a strong force to promote the development of society. At that time newspaper offices were seen in Shanghai's Wangping Road. Hundreds of newsboys waited early in the morning for newspapers.
Now in Fuzhou Road, postal vans stand in a queue early in the morning. The only difference is manual labor has been replaced by automobile.
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