Journalist’s guide to writing a China healthcare reform story

I was recently contacted by someone took a job with a potentially exciting new media outlet called the Blue Ocean Network, (BON), the first television network based in the mainland to provide independent, English-language news, entertainment, and educational coverage of all things China.

BON seems genuinely concerned with creating high level, thought out content about China, and have invested money into a studio to try and make it happen.  They could very well push of the game here, by creating a platform (and recruiting the people) that can efficiently integrates all of the current English-language coverage of China into something palpable for mass, global consumption.

The niche to become the exclusive distributor of China news is wide open. I had a classmate from undergrad who worked at the NBC new China headquarters, in Beijing, before the Olympics, and the office only had 8 people.  That’s just not big enough to cover much of anything, in China.  The scene is begging for some serious competition.

Anyway, this person who contacted me is preparing a story on China’s healthcare reforms (covered extensively on this blog, and if you want more information the search bar is at the top right of this page) and wanted some information about how to proceed, who to contact, etc.

It’s not the first time that media has asked James and I about how to approach a healthcare story.  So, I figured that one way we could help is by providing guides on China story angles.

So, adapted from an email I sent to my BON friend, here is a guide about how to approach China’s healthcare reform.

1.) China’s healthcare reform is not politically polarized.  No one party is the obvious health reform proponent and no one  is completely against it.  That kind of divide is uniquely America.  The Chinese actually want healthcare reform

2.) To get a better idea of what this might mean for a story,  define ‘reform’

1. A change for the better; an improvement.

2. Correction of evils, abuses, or errors.

3. Action to improve social or economic conditions without radical or revolutionary change.

You see that the meaning of a ‘reform’ is very context specific – a change that produces better in one place, may not produce better in another, and the needs of different places are, well, differnt.  In the US healthcare reform means covering 36 million people, cubing malpractice, sorting out financing.  In China, it means constructing a 1st world healthcare system through infrastructure improvements, sorting out incentives of healthcare workers, medical education expansion, etc.

3.) In China people like socialized medicine.  They think its great.  People can’t contemplate spending more than 30 yuan to see a doctor for a regular check up.  Instead, what you will find is widespread fear that China’s health system is getting too capitalistic, and that health reform should stay away from overly privatized models.

4.) The actual pipework of the reforms is being constructed by healthcare system experts, not politicians.  So, if you’re actually talking to someone who is familiar with the reform that person is going to give you a nuanced opinion of the major challenges going forward, the problems of today, and the potential pitfalls of the reform.  A professional architect is necessarily more balanced in her opinions than a professional politician.

5.) This point is related to point 4.  Everyone involved is well aware that designing a system that works for 1.3 billion people is unexplored territory.  Like all things, in China, they’ll take this slow – there is no point of getting too much wrong at once.

6.) This point is related to point 5.  The Chinese are building a new system, and they are aware that problems in the system are better tackled early on, before they compound, and its too late or costly to turn back.

7.)  If you want to juxtapose opinions on the reform your best bet is to talk to post 80s/90s youth, with medical students being the clear best choice.  Someone young and idealistic, and informed, is apt to want the very best healthcare for China right now and to be able to clearly express why.

8.) If you want to know whether the healthcare reforms are doing what they’re supposed to, monitor the rural regions.  The thrust of the money is going to fund rural clinics and health systems so that overcrowded tier2/3 hospitals can get some relief.

9.) If you want an informed and accessible Laowai perspective, check back to this blog often.