​​​​Dear John,

Thank you for subscribing to the China Media Bulletin. I hope that it has helped you stay informed during this turbulent year.  

Throughout 2020, our team at Freedom House has worked to overcome unexpected obstacles so that we could continue to provide you—and hundreds of thousands of Chinese-speaking readers in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan—with cutting-edge research, commentary, and recommendations for action. We have tried our best to amplify the reporting of Chinese journalists on the early cover-up of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, to share the stories of victims of horrific human rights abuses in China, and to support courageous democracy advocates in Hong Kong in the face of an unprecedented onslaught on their basic freedoms. And, at our Annual Awards in September, Freedom House honored the two million Hong Kongers who turned out in protest last year to stand in defense of the rights they are supposed to enjoy and offered our solidarity to those grappling with the repressive effects of Beijing’s abruptly imposed National Security Law.  

Please consider making a year-end contribution to Freedom House today to help us further expand the China Media Bulletin’s readership and enhance our advocacy efforts. We have seen from events of the past year that our work facilitates concrete action—by the United States, other governments, and civil society—to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s multi-faceted campaign to extend its propaganda, censorship, and disinformation techniques to news consumers not only in China but also those around the world.  

This year, we have been encouraged by how well-received our research on China and Hong Kong has been by frontline human rights defenders, policymakers, local media, and ordinary readers in China and globally. One third of China Media Bulletin survey respondents in China report they are more careful when using Chinese social media applications and that they make a greater effort to seek out uncensored information after reading the bulletin. Almost a quarter of our readers have taken some action to support free expression or an individual activist. One student from a university in China who wished to remain anonymous reflected that, “seeing this kind of uncensored information makes me feel that I have some freedom.” 

Freedom House is deeply committed to helping all people—including those in China and Hong Kong—to achieve their aspirations for fundamental human rights and freedom.  

Your generous support of Freedom House and the China Media Bulletin will help us to continue monitoring and exposing the latest tactics used by the Chinese government to manipulate information within China and abroad, and to support those dedicating their lives to countering the real-world effects of Beijing’s censorship and surveillance.  

Thank you for your interest in our work and best wishes to your family during this holiday season, 

Sarah Cook 
Research Director for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan