Foreign journalists discussed their experience reporting in China on March 10 as part of The Bookworm International Literary Festival in Beijing.

The three panelists were Jonathan Watts from the Guardian, Jane Macartney from The Times, and Evan Osnos from The New Yorker.

Foreign journalists have to resist the urge to portray China as black and white, they said, using environmental issues as an example. While some commentators say China is an irresponsible, polluting country, others hail China as the "greenest" country in the world. But the truth is somewhere in between.

"If people have been saying for years, 'China is a black country, China is a red country,' you kind of want to recolor China," Watts said. "You do sort of jump from one extreme and then to another, and I think that's kind of a problem with what we do. The picture's always lots of different colors at the same time."

The panelists also discussed the changes in the environment for foreign journalists in China and how they report stories. Although the government has introduced a spokesman system, assigning someone in each ministry to deal with press inquiries, those spokesmen can be slow to respond, Watts said.

Macartney, who first reported from China in 1985, said that although there are still many frustrations, one big improvement has been in her freedom to travel around the country. In the past, foreign journalists had to apply 10 days in advance if they wanted to leave Beijing. Today they can move around more easily.

There have been big changes for Chinese media, too. Changing business models, more competition, and the role of the Internet are forcing Chinese media to adapt, Watts said: "I think newspapers know if they don't print it, it's going to appear on the Internet anyway."

The Internet has also changed the relationship between foreign journalists and the people whose country they write about, as stories in foreign media become available to a wider audience and in more languages.

"There's a sense of accountability that comes with the knowledge that as soon as you write something, it's going to be translated and circulated," Osnos said.

This year's festival features distinguished writers from around the world, including Amit Chaudhuri, Colum McCann, Junot Diaz, and Murong Xuecun. Organizers say it is also the first "carbon-neutral" literary festival in China.

The Bookworm International Literary Festival runs until March 19. For more information, visit www.beijingbookworm.com.