這兩天爆出南華早報South China Morning Post淡化內地維權人士李旺陽死訊，南早賣盤後歸邊非新鮮事，不過今日我想講的是編輯Alex Price在電郵所寫的英文甚具教學意義，鬧人都鬧得特別graceful，看完整段電郵，我第一個反應係：嘩，南早真係南早，下屬插老細都寧舍禮貌過人，學嘢喇大家。不過學時學，如果大家係人哋老闆，就唔好black & white恐嚇下屬咁白痴啦。
以下報導及翻譯(紅色字體除外)轉載自香港獨立媒體網
南華早報在六月六日李旺陽被自殺的消息爆出當天，把詳細的新聞故事刪減為二百字的簡訊，被視為封殺新聞。身份為吉林省政協的總編王向偉，被外籍同事 Alex Price詢問為何作出如此決定時，竟然說：「我不需要向你解釋什麼。我做了這個我認為正確的決定。若你不喜歡，你自己該知道如何做。」Alex Price認為這個回覆具威嚇性，用意是叫他「閉嘴或辭職」。
Alex Price最後把自已與王向偉的電郵對答轉給南華早報的同事，以下是電郵的原文及翻譯。
六月七日的電郵：
Alex Price: Hi Xiangwei ... A lot of people are wondering why we nibbed the Li Wangyang story last night.
It does seem rather odd. Any chance you can
shed some light on the matter?
Alex Price: 嗨向偉… 很多人都在疑惑為何我們昨晚把李旺陽的新聞壓下去。這確實挺奇怪的，你可否解釋一下呢？
嗱，明明想插老總低調報導李旺陽死訊是 "odd"，卻以懷疑口吻說 "seem rather odd"，但也不忘加重語氣用 "it does seem rather odd"；不過老細始終係老細，點都要俾吓面，唯有禮貌詢問 "can you shed some light on the matter?"，可否俾啲指引我呢？嘩，幾尊重老細呀，直頭靚抽，學嘢啦！
王向偉: I made that decision.
王向偉: 這是我做的決定。
呢啲咪擺老細款囉，答人一句咁大把，不過，佢真係有老細風範，認晒係自己做，攬晒上身，吹咩？
Alex Price:
Any chance you say why? It’s just that to the outside world it looks an awful lot like self-censorship ...
Alex Price: 你可否解釋為何有這個決定呢？外界認為這看來太像自我審查。
嗱嗱嗱，開始有火藥味，不過依然禮貌要求老細find a chance再解釋一下。
王向偉: I don't have to explain to you anything. I made the decision and I stand by it. If you don't like it, you know what to do.
王向偉：我不須要向你解釋什麼。我做了這個我認為正確的決定。若你不喜歡，你自己該知道如何做。
出事啦出事啦，下屬第二次禮貌詢問，老細卻發爛渣，一句 "you know what to do"更有靠嚇之嫌。
六月十一日電郵對答：
Alex Price: I am concerned by the intimidatory nature of your reply. A very strange editorial decision
was made and everyone is wondering why. Many other news organisations splashed with the Li Wangyang story yet we reduced it to a brief. In such circumstances it is quite reasonable to ask the editor why the decision was made. Of course
he may decline to say why; there could be any number of reasons, and he may well want to keep them to himself. But if the question was polite and reasonable than [then] I see no reason why the response should not be equally polite and reasonable. As it stands, I am concerned. I am now worried that anyone who wishes to raise issue with an editorial decision - no matter how much that decision appears to go against good journalism - will be told to shut up or leave. I am further concerned that my justifiable concern on this matter as a journalist may lead to the termination of my employment.
I look forward to a chat where you can
put my mind at rest.
Alex Price: 我對你具有威嚇性的回覆很關注。一個很奇怪的編輯決定做了，所有人都感到奇怪。很多其他的新聞機構都放大李旺陽的故事，而我們則以簡訊的方法去處理。在這情況下，問編輯為何作出這決定是正常不過的。當然，他可以拒絕解釋。可以有很多不同的原因，而他可以不向外公開。但若提問合理和有禮，我看不到有何理由回答不能以同樣的方式作出。事到如今，我真的很在意。我擔心若任何人就編輯違反新聞專業的決定提出異議，會被告訴要閉嘴或離開。我亦擔心自己作為記者這合理的關注，會另我丟掉工作。
我期待可以跟你詳談以去除我的擔懮。
Alex Price 以被動法 "was made"指出「有人」做了這個決定而不直斥其非，其實擺到明插佢老細啦，用 "he"而不用 "you"以第三身方法寫出也是同一道理，聽落無咁礙耳。"put my mind at rest"，how graceful does it sound？
王向偉: I don't think my answer is anyway intimidatory and I don't know why you have formed your opinion.
王向偉：我不明白為何我的回答具威脅性，我亦不明白為何你會有如此的意見。
Alex Price: Xiang Wei; A good man died for his cause and we turned it from a story into a brief. The rest of Hong Kong splashed on it. Your staff are understandably concerned by this.
News is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations. Please explain the decision to reduce the suspicious death of Li Wangyang to a brief. I need to be able to explain it to my friends who are asking why we did it. I'm sorry but your reply of "it is my decision, if you don't like it you know what to do" is not enough in such a situation. Frankly it seems to be saying "shut up or go". The SCMP has subsequently splashed on Li Wangyang, had a focus page devoted to the matter, plus editorials, two columns by yourself and other stories. Yet on the day it counted we reduced the story to a nib.
Journalistic ethics are at stake. The credibility of the South China Morning Post is at stake.
Your staff - and readers - deserve an answer.
I look forward to hearing it.
Alex Price: 向偉：一個好人為了他的理念而死，我們把他的故事變成了簡訊。而所有香港的（媒體）都放大這故事。你的員工當然關注這事。新聞是要寫一些人不想讓公開的事情，其他的都是公關新聞。請解釋為何把李旺陽離奇死亡的故事變成簡訊。我需要向那些詢問我此事的朋友解釋。很對不起，你的回答：「這是我的決定，你不喜歡的話，你自已識做」不足以解釋。老實說，它更像在說：「閉嘴或離開」。南早最終到放大李旺陽的故事，做了一個專題頁，還有編輯評論，你亦寫了兩個專欄和其他故事。但在最重要的一天，我們把故事縮細。這是涉及新聞倫理的問題，而關乎南華早報的聲譽。你的員工、讀者應該有一個答案。
我期待聽到這個答案。
一語導破捍衛新聞自由的核心價值："News is printing what someone else does not want printed." 其實最尾講到明要爆你大鑊啦！
下次同老細鬧交之前，記得拿這篇來參考一下哦！
