If you would like to see a video version of this article please watch on YouTube: Last month the NY Times published an article entitled “How Beijing Influences the Influencers”, it was an article that took many months of research as the authors contacted dozens of Western social media influencers living both in China and abroad asking them a variety of questions related to their work on YouTube. The overall goal of the article was very simple. Discredit the work of these foreigners who are sharing their stories and genuine insights from China and make sure the American public continue to have a negative impression of China.
To your qeustion - I do not think it would be WISE to accept the offer from the Shaanxi tourism bureau. Doing so would give anti-China propagandists material they could turn into persuasive lies. I think that you should turn down any such offer so as to maintain your credibility.
However, it would NOT be MORALLY WRONG to accept such an offer. You would just have to be careful to clearly state at the beginning and end of each piece you produce on such a trip (written or video or audio) that you were paid by the Shaanxi tourism bureau to produce the content.
To your qeustion - I do not think it would be WISE to accept the offer from the Shaanxi tourism bureau. Doing so would give anti-China propagandists material they could turn into persuasive lies. I think that you should turn down any such offer so as to maintain your credibility.
However, it would NOT be MORALLY WRONG to accept such an offer. You would just have to be careful to clearly state at the beginning and end of each piece you produce on such a trip (written or video or audio) that you were paid by the Shaanxi tourism bureau to produce the content.