If it were not for this microblog, after the Fudan University Mountaineering Team was rescued from danger during their Huangshan Mountain expedition, people might have focused more on mourning the fallen police officer who sacrificed his life by falling off a cliff - 24-year-old Zhang Ninghai from the Huangshan Hot Spring Police Station.
On December 14th, a journalist from Anhui Television posted a tweet after finishing an interview, condemning the indifference and cold-bloodedness of those who were rescued. Consequently, this mountaineering team composed of Fudan students and alumni was instantly thrust into the eye of public opinion. After two posts labeled as "power grab post" and "media control post" suddenly appeared online, society's deep discussions and criticisms surged towards the mountaineering team and Fudan University, sparking what could be considered the last major social controversy at the end of the year. However, behind the condemnation of indifference and accountability lies the public's concern for the future humanistic ecology of society.
Text/Photos
Reporters: Chen Weibin and Ji Qiang
The Beginning
"The trouble-making" microblog suddenly disappeared
After the tragedy, major media outlets across the country paid attention to the news of Fudan University students being rescued and the unfortunate sacrifice of the police officer in the line of duty. Around 1 a.m. on the 14th, a journalist from Anhui Television posted on Weibo that the rescued students from Fudan did not even attend Officer Zhang Ninghai's memorial service but instead hastily returned to Shanghai. They didn't weep or show any emotion; they even questioned our interviews persistently. This microblog was quickly retweeted and commented on massively, angering netizens at the members' indifference, leading to a flood of criticism.
However, just as the situation seemed to escalate, the controversial microblog suddenly disappeared. Combined with the rescued students' silence and subsequent clarification, the incident became increasingly mysterious. Subsequently, one of the rescued students stated that after being saved and learning about Zhang Ninghai's sacrifice, they had proposed two requests: one was to bid farewell to the martyr's remains, and the other was to meet Zhang Ninghai's family. But due to the school and rescue command center requiring them to return to school quickly, these requests were not fulfilled.
Facing public pressure, on December 17th, a memorial ceremony for Martyr Zhang Ninghai was held simultaneously in Huangshan and at Fudan University campus. One of the rescued students admitted frankly: "At the time, all we thought about was how to return to Shanghai as soon as possible, and we indeed showed indifference to Officer Zhang's death."
Subsequently, the 18 members of the Fudan University Mountaineering Team’s Huangshan trip were gradually identified. More details about their actions and words were disclosed online. Soon, two posts titled "Power Grab Post" and "Media Control Post" also surfaced on the internet. Additionally, revelations that the climbers had sneaked into the mountain without tickets led to broader criticism, plunging the entire Fudan University into the "Huangshan Gate" scandal.
According to a screenshot from a netizen, a dialogue post between Du Bin, one of the 18 members and also the head of the mountaineering association, and the former president Shi Xiang, revealed that Shi Xiang reminded Du Bin to learn crisis PR and advised him on how to control elders to coordinate relationships. On Fudan University's internal "Riyueguanghua" BBS forum, many students posted comments suggesting that this event tested the school's PR abilities and recommended Fudan journalism graduates to occupy and control the media as much as possible. "It is suggested that journalism students go to newspapers like Xinmin Evening News and News Morning Post, rather than all concentrating on Wen Hui Bao and Liberation Daily. Currently, the most effective news report about Fudan came from the Oriental Morning Post, written by a Fudan graduate."
Faced with such "callous remarks," many netizens were enraged, disappointed at how "cold-blooded" Fudan students appeared, believing they did not know how to take responsibility nor respect life.
Reflection
Concerns over the inheritance of humanistic ecology
On December 17th, simultaneous memorial services for Zhang Ninghai were held both in Huangshan and at Fudan University's main campus in Yan Garden. Accompanied by the appearance, kneeling, apologizing, and admitting mistakes by representatives of the rescued students, public condemnation of these students decreased. What followed was society's reflection on "indifference." More and more people began to worry about the impending coldness and lack of responsibility in society. Fudan University, as one of the top institutions, its students can be seen as the potential mainstream population. However, from the "Huangshan Gate" incident, these individuals caused some concerns.
"This is a lack of moral faith," someone commented, saying that in minds filled with natural sciences, morality may only be a theory rather than the foundation of social norms. If education emphasizing "talent" while neglecting "virtue" continues to develop unchecked, there will be no sense of social responsibility or commitment in the future mainstream population, and the inheritance and continuation of humanistic ecology will not exist either. At that point, no matter how good the crisis PR experts are educated, what difference would it make?
Dialogue
In this incident, a Weibo conversation between Fudan student Du Bin and Shi Xiang plunged the already embroiled Fudan into the "power grab gate." Before the start of Fudan University's mourning activity for Zhang Ninghai, this reporter exclusively interviewed Du Bin.
"That was just a senior consoling a newcomer"
Rescued student explains the "power grab post" ——
"That was just a senior consoling a newcomer"
Reporter: Are you currently the head of the mountaineering association?
Du Bin: Yes.
Reporter: Who is Shi Xiang?
Du Bin: A senior, the former president of Fudan University's Mountaineering Association.
Reporter: Many people question your conversation with Shi Xiang on Weibo, believing that after being rescued, you were ungrateful and busy trying to "seize power." How do you feel about this?
Du Bin: Actually, Shi Xiang was just comforting me, helping me get through this difficult period. It was merely a greeting between old members and new ones in our climbing association.
Reporter: Did you really become indifferent after the incident? How do you view the accusations made by the Anhui journalist on Weibo?
Du Bin: I think we weren't indifferent. Some media reports were not fair. In fact, we initially wanted to stay in Huangshan and visit Officer Zhang Ninghai's family before returning to Shanghai, but the school required us to return immediately.
Reporter: Have you been to Huangshan before? Who organized this expedition? Did anyone among you walk that route before?
Du Bin: I haven't been to Huangshan before. The expedition was organized by the lead climber and the rear climber. I know there was a girl who had been there before, and the rear climber walked that route. Initially, we thought it wouldn't be dangerous, and we even held a special meeting before departure to discuss the key points of navigating this path. But later, problems arose, and the guidebook and reality turned out to be very different.
Reporter: Did you buy tickets at that time? If not, why didn't you?
Du Bin: (shakes his head, glances at the reporter) There was nowhere to buy tickets there.
Reporter: When did you find out someone fell off a cliff to save you?
Du Bin: We found out when we were almost down the mountain.
Reporter: Some say you refused interviews and acted coldly when you left Huangshan. Is this true? Why was that?
Du Bin: After we learned that someone had sacrificed for us, since we were still students, we were very confused, unsure of what to do or what to say.
Reporter: After returning to school, did the school authorities contact you?
Du Bin: Yes, for psychological counseling.
Reporter: What did your parents say after you returned to Shanghai?
Du Bin: They hoped that my teammates and I would settle down first.
Reporter: Do you have anything to say to the fallen Zhang Ninghai?
Du Bin: His sacrifice has deeply saddened me.
■ Journalist Witness
Less than a hundred people
Voluntarily attended the mourning ceremony
As per the pre-arranged schedule, the memorial ceremony for Martyr Zhang Ninghai at Fudan University campus was set for 9:30 a.m. on December 17th. The reporter arrived at the Yan Garden on Fudan's main campus before 8 a.m. By 8:30 a.m., most members of the Student Union had arrived at the scene. This memorial ceremony gave the reporter the impression that it was just an ordinary Student Union activity...
To understand the mindset of other Fudan students, the reporter randomly interviewed several students on the road. When asked how they viewed societal criticism, four believed it was just media hype; six others indicated that whether someone was indifferent or not depended on individual judgment and evaluation, but the netizens' amplification had unfairly labeled Fudan University as "indifferent."
At the mourning site, Student Union members arranged everything according to the instructions of a responsible person. After the official mourning ceremony began, the reporter noticed that fewer than three hundred people participated in this commemoration, including over thirty Student Union members, sixteen rescued students, mountaineering association members, some teachers, and more than twenty journalists. Those who voluntarily attended the mourning event accounted for less than one-third.