'Xinhua Brings the World to You'
"Xinhua Brings the World to You" is the latest slogan for Xinhua. For many years, numerous Chinese official news agencies have been seen as governmental propaganda tools, but Xinhua is trying to convince the world that it is more than a propaganda arm, but a way for people to learn the truth about the world.
"I believe there are some misunderstandings about us," said Zhou Xisheng, Xinhua's vice president. "Of course we will need to report what's happening and give our own explanation, but this does not mean that we are making propaganda."
Zhou stressed that Xinhua is aiming to make itself a news agency that can express objective views to its readers, but at the same time be a media arm of the government.
Xinhua is gradually building brand awareness in the US. In May, Xinhua moved its North American headquarters from Woodside in Queens to a tower in Times Square, neighboring media giants Thomson Reuters and Conde Nast.
Xinhua has also recently begun aggressively marketing its news wire service, particularly in the developing world, with the goal of competing with news agencies like The Associated Press, Bloomberg News, and Reuters. "We are doing more coverage here," said Zeng Hu, Xinhua's North America bureau chief.
"Xinhua's move into Times Square signals a new era in which they want to become a global player," said Russell Leong, an adjunct professor of Asian-American Studies at the University of California-Los Angeles.
Like the Japanese and South Korean brands that came to Times Square to better familiarize the United States with their products, the arrival of Xinhua is a prominent expression of its ambitions with Americans, many of whom are either unfamiliar with the state-owned news agency or associate it with relics like Tass, the official disseminator of government news releases in the Soviet Union.
Expanding around the world
Xinhua is not the first official government news agency that is taking measures to attract more overseas audiences. Previously, China Daily, a government-backed newspaper issued its American version and is cooperating with Twitter to broadcast it.
China Central Television (CCTV) has increased their foreign language channels, adding the Russian channel and Arabic channel to ensure more people can receive news from China.
Although the Xinhua Times Square ad has drawn much attention, it remains to be seen how the brand can succeed in the US or in international markets.
