I am a BU alum who lived in China for six years. During that time, I've definitely had a chance to see the power of the media in shaping how we think. It is true that the Chinese media avoid covering bad news about the government. It is also true, however, that the US media tend to make broad generalizations about the Chinese government. As in all of life, nothing is that simple. This is even more true in a country as vast and diverse as China. Friends of mine, Americans, who work in government agencies in China will tell you that there really are government officials who care about the people and want to see change. But once a decision is made at a national level it must pass through many hands before it reaches the people in a small village--one corrupt official along the way and a plan meant for good can be ruined. This is only one of the many complexities China faces. So while China should by all means be criticized, those criticisms should avoid those broad generalizations that irk so many of my Chinese friends.