Newspaper denies unethical coverage of Yao Beina's death
- By Li Jingrong
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 24, 2015
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File photo taken on Aug. 27, 2014 shows singer Yao Beina at a performance staged in Qiqihar, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua] |
Response from Yao's family and agent
Chen Yu said that Yao Feng, Yao Beina's father, called the editor-in-chief of the Shenzhen Evening News at 8:20 p.m. on Jan. 20, expressing his thanks for the newspaper's coverage of Yao Beina's funeral and their understanding of family members' feelings.
In an interview with Sina Entertainment Channel, Huayi Brothers Music Corp, Yao Beina's label, refused to officially comment on the article and editorial in the Shenzhen Evening News.
However, Yuan Tao, the company's music general manager, placed a post on his Weibo account entitled "Daybreak January 22" that expressed his thanks to Yao Beina's parents and said he would treasure the singer's beautiful life.
"Thank you to Yao's kind father and mother. They taught me how to forgive!" This has been considered an overall response to the controversy.
Recap of the controversy
Pop singer Yao Beina died at the age of 33 from breast cancer on Jan. 16 at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital. She was best known for singing the theme song of the Chinese TV drama "The Legend of Zhen Huan," and her career skyrocketed after she competed on "The Voice of China" in 2013. Her death shocked fans and the music industry, and her decision to donate her cornea won respect from the whole country.
However, grief over her death turned to uproar over journalism ethics and coverage of celebrity deaths. The uproar began when a widely-shared post published on Sina Weibo claimed that three journalists from the Shenzhen Evening News dressed up as medical staff and sneaked into the morgue to take photographs of the deceased singer's body while doctors removed her corneas.
On Jan. 17, Yao's agent, Bo Ning, demanded that the newspaper apologize, while Zhang Liang from Huayi Brothers Music Corp., Yao's employer, described the reporters as "inhumane." On Jan. 18, the Shenzhen Evening News apologized in a statement posted on its official Weibo account, admitting that reporters had taken pictures but that they were deleted when Yao's family objected. At the same time, it also announced it was shutting down a charity foundation they had formed in Yao's name to collect money from fans. The controversy continued, however, leading to the expanded response from the newspaper.
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