Cheng Lei, the Australian journalist who has recently been released from imprisonment in Beijing, is set to embark on a new journey with Sky News Australia.
After enduring over three years in a Chinese prison, she will now take on the roles of a TV presenter and a columnist for the media outlet’s website.
“If you asked me two months ago (whether) I’d be making a redebut and getting back behind the desk in the studio and doing my old job again, I would have said you were crazy,”
Cheng shared with The Australian.
Her anticipation of returning to her professional roots contrasts sharply with her previous expectations of a life focused on being a “soccer mum” and possibly securing translation or interpreting work.
In prison, Cheng’s access to news was limited to Chinese state broadcasts, which she described as heavily biased political propaganda. The monthly consular visits she received as a foreign citizen were her lifeline, providing brief but crucial updates about the world and her family.
“I would ask the embassy officials what really happened, what’s really going on between Ukraine and Russia and most of the time it would be the opposite (of what was on state news),” she recalled.
Cheng’s journalistic instincts remained undiminished during her incarceration, despite being restricted to reading only books and banned from accessing newspapers and magazines. Her upcoming debut on Sky News is scheduled for the early hours of Wednesday, where she will host the channel’s News Night program.
Following a brief hiatus over Christmas, she plans to return in January on a casual basis, gradually reintegrating into the field of journalism.
Cheng acknowledges the vital role of News Corp, owner of Sky News and publisher of The Australian, in helping her regain the confidence to resume her career.
“I think of all people to be shut up and locked up, journos probably suffer the most intense itch when it comes to communication and expression,” she said, emphasizing her eagerness to reestablish her presence in the field.
Elise Holman, head of news at Sky News, praised Cheng as an “outstanding journalist” and expressed excitement about assisting her in reclaiming her professional identity.
Prior to her detention in August 2020, Cheng was a prominent anchor for the Chinese government’s English TV channel, CGTN. Her arrest, conducted by the Chinese Ministry of State Security, was based on charges of providing state secrets to foreign entities. The specifics surrounding her arrest remain largely undisclosed.
Reflecting on her future and the possibility of revisiting China, Cheng remains open yet cautious. She acknowledges the need for a sense of safety and welcome, considering the negative attention she has received on Chinese internet platforms.
SOURCE: The Australian
