A recent survey by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China had some discouraging numbers about reporting conditions in the country. Ninety-four percent of journalists who responded felt the work environment had deteriorated over the last year. Seventy percent had experienced harassment or violence of some kind. And a whopping 99% said reporting conditions in China do not meet international standards.
While many people outside China might have a cognitive understanding that reporting here is difficult, there's less knowledge of just exactly what kind of difficulties we come across. Our most recent reporting trip serves as a good example of the particular challenges the press corps here faces.