ARTICLE: “China’s Muckrakers for Hire: For a fee, reporters deliver exposes with impact on the Internet,” by Edward Cody, Washington Post National Weekly Edition, 7-13 May 2007, p. 18.

HEROES & PIONEERS: “Zeng Jinyan: The Chinese blogger who is waging a war of words against Beijing’s secret police,” Time, 14 May 2007, p. 99.

Freelancing, as Robb pointed out in Brave New War, is a term with mercenary roots, suggesting individuals taking matters into their own hands.

Some, like our blogger, do it out of conviction. Others, like our profiled reporter, work as a hired gun on stories the media won’t bother covering otherwise (it’s the same old profit motive of an audience, just more singularly applied).

Yes, it would be better if the Party set up more direct means for people to voice their complaints, and that will come in time, largely because of the competitive pressures created by these freelancers.

Little by little, yesterday’s inconceivable becomes tomorrow’s inevitable.