The protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989 were a huge news story around the world. But part of the reason for that was a fluke of history. The foreign media was already in Beijing — at the invitation of the Chinese government.The protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989 were a huge news story around the world. But part of the reason for that was a fluke of history. The foreign media was already in Beijing — at the invitation of the Chinese government.