Side-by-side photos show the NYPD officers arresting a suspect in New York on Feb. 16, 2021 (L) and protesters hurling petrol bombs at police in Hong Kong on Aug. 25, 2019.

On Feb. 16, a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer was filmed repeatedly punching a 50-year-old suspect in the head as he’s held down by three other cops on the ground at the South Ferry subway station in New York City, the United States.

The bystander filming the video was heard “Oh my God” as additional officers with police dogs arrived at the scene to keep people away from the scuffle. The clip was soon widely shared on social media since Thursday, with many accusing the NYPD of police brutality.

Amid the uproar, CNN reported the news, pointing out that as it “has not reviewed an unedited copy of the video”, there is “no indication of what happened before the video began or during edited portions”.

“These cops were doing exactly what was asked of them: enforcing the transit system rules,” NYC Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch was quoted by CNN as saying.

It’s good to see that CNN has pursued an objective and fair position in reporting US police, using multiple sources and avoid believing out-of-context-fragments.

Unfortunately, this reporting principle seems not to apply to US police’s counterparts in China.

During an illegal protest in Hong Kong on Aug. 25, 2019, CNN released a story headlined “Police Use Petrol Bombs and Water Cannons Against Hong Kong Protesters” with a widely circulated video, blaming HK police for their actions against protesters.

It turned out that the video was not only out-of-context-fragments, but a clumsy patchwork -- the petrol bombs, as revealed in an original video clip, were hurled by protesters instead of police.

Such erroneous news coverage is not rare in CNN’s reporting about China, such as issues on Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Apparently, CNN, which flaunts to be “working hard” to ensure that reporting is “fair and balanced”, has deviated from its principles, epitomizing naked double standards and hypocrisy.

Respecting the truth in news reporting should be applied beyond the border. It is hoped that a global media outlet like CNN would drop its ideological bias and take on an objective and fair attitude toward China, just like what they promise, and like what they do in reporting its own police.