So let me tell you about an actual experience with Chinese "journalist" since this concept send so difficult to grasp. I was invited by a major Chinese state owned outlet to a conference. I was puzzled given they knew my views on things why they would invite me but 1/n

After consulting with a couple people decided to go. I was met at the airport and accompanied the entire time I was not in my hotel room at the conference by two young women "journalists" who worked for the outlet. Both of them had gone to University abroad in English 2/n

Speaking countries. Being the polite professor I inquired about their studies and how they liked the countries they studied in small talk like that. Eventually conversation turned to their work. As I inquired, they informed me that even though they worked for a multimedia 3/n

State outlet, their work consisted of writing reports for the government and gathering information. They clearly were not old enough or well trained enough to be any type of intelligence agent or smooth operators but were just recounting what they did for work. I could tell 4/n

They had been given orders to stick to me like white on rice because they were with me constantly and I'm sure there is a report somewhere on a Chinese server from them about this two day conference and their impressions of me. The bigger point is this: the vast number of 5/n

Chinese journalism outlets (not all and not PRC passport holders working for other media) engage in similar type of work activity. The stories you hear from others runs a gamut in that some just report back key information to the government to they write both public and 6/n

Government reports but there should be zero doubt that this work had nothing to do with journalism, free speech, or whatever professional ideals we are taking about. This is nothing more than government monitoring and intelligence work. When I say the vast vast majority 7/n

If impacted persons by the new visa regulations are this type of person and professional activity, and it isn't journalism: I'm dead serious. You think it takes that many people to turn out "America sucks" Tweets for China Daily. They aren't journalists and it isn't journalism.