Faces of JUE: Gao Ning Talks Talk

In our March issue, we talked to seven personalities of the JUE Festival to tell us more about each of the seven elements of JUE. Beijing journalist Gao Ning gives his thoughts on media in China.

I’m a journalist, but I also call myself a writer since I’ve written a novel. The title of my talk is “There Is Some News Called a Novel.” Speaking as a journalist, I want to say that some of the media is respectable. That they are trying their best to give social issues the exposure they need or to make changes. And by doing so, they sometimes put themselves at huge risk.

As a writer, you’ve got to be yourself. You are controlling your characters and your stories and their fates and its ending. As a journalist, though, you need to get as close to a scene as you can. Your story is based on your interviews and experiences. It’s not fictional. You’ll never know any of the details if you don’t ask. You are more like a clerk in court, recording the story as it is. Regardless of if you like it or not, you cannot change any part of the truth.

Why am I suitable to be the face of JUE Talk? I think you’ll need to ask the festival organizers this question. But if you insist on me answering, then I’ll say my face is as young as JUE, and it’s also not ugly.

This article originally appeared on page 15 of the March issue of the Beijinger.