http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=48516
CHINA: China law aims to 'shut up media'
Officials deny censorship, but propose fines for unauthorised reporting by local and foreign media
The Age
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
By Mary-Anne Toy
Beijing --- A controversial Chinese draft law that would allow local officials to fine media outlets up to the equivalent of $A17,000 every time they publish unauthorised reports on public emergencies would also apply to foreign media.
The law could also inhibit the much freer Hong Kong press, which often exposes unreported events such as public disasters, mass protests and riots and infectious disease outbreaks.
A senior official of the National People's Congress, Wang Yongqing, denied that the proposed law was censorship, saying it was necessary to prevent false reports and irresponsible journalism.
He said it would only apply if a media report caused "grave social consequences".
"If a report is true, then it will not cause any of the so-called grave consequences and the media outlet should not be punished," said Mr Wang, a vice-director of the State Council Legislative Affairs Office.
He then went on to encourage journalists to expose local officials who delayed information about an emergency or provided inaccurate information.
"If they impose a fine on you, an administrative penalty is not final; you can sue them in court (to appeal against the fine)," he said. However, he failed to explain how the accuracy of a report was to be determined given local officials' propensity to cover up or play down public emergencies.
Mr Wang also failed to explain clearly how it would be determined if a report was true if it differed from the official account -- particularly given the record of local governments.
The ousted editor of the investigative Bingdian (Freezing Point) a weekly supplement in China Youth Daily, Li Datong, said: "From past experience, we all know that the first government response to a public emergency is to lie."
Mr Li, who was sacked after publishing an essay critical of official history textbooks for being one-sided, cited the Songhua River late last year as a glaring example. Local officials initially claimed they were repairing water pipes when they cut off water supplies to Harbin, a city of almost 5 million people, after a massive chemical spill into the Songhua River in north-eastern China.
Journalism professor Zhan Jiang, of the China Youth University for Political Sciences, said the draft law was aimed at intimidating the media, despite official denials, as there was no clause in it to protect journalists who exposed the truth.
Professor Zhan told the South China Morning Post in comments that were unlikely to be published on the mainland, that the law "has an enormous chilling effect and it is basically shutting up the media outlets".
The law has been in the pipeline since China's initial cover up of the SARS epidemic in 2003.
The draft law that is now under review, and is expected to be adopted this year, has been criticised by journalists and others.
Mr Wang cited unauthorised reports on earthquake alarms and large animal disease outbreaks as areas of concern. Infectious disease outbreaks are particularly sensitive with international concern about how prepared China is for an outbreak of bird flu and how willing it is to share information.
Hong Kong media enjoy much greater press freedom than the mainland and are frequently able to publish reports on public disasters, health issues, protests and riots that are banned on the mainland.
Beijing to limit internet, mobiles
Shanghai --- Chinese authorities are to step up their efforts to control the internet and other communications technologies, including instant messaging and mobile phones.
Speaking at a conference in Beijing on Wednesday, Cai Wu, director of the powerful Information Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet, said new controls were needed "because more and more harmful information is being circulated online".
Another senior official who spoke at the same meeting, Wang Xudong, deputy minister of the information industry, said that his ministry's next target would be developing technologies to regulate web logs and search engines.
The measures contemplated include mandatory user registration for mobile phones, according to reports from the conference. Now, users can buy mobile phone cards in stores, obtaining a new telephone number without identifying themselves. Web sites also might be subject to registration.
The Government's statement of intent is being seen as the beginning of its most ambitious effort yet to rein in high-tech communication. Analysts said the measures indicated concern within the Government about its ability to maintain power.
CHINA: China law aims to 'shut up media'
Officials deny censorship, but propose fines for unauthorised reporting by local and foreign media
The Age
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
By Mary-Anne Toy
Beijing --- A controversial Chinese draft law that would allow local officials to fine media outlets up to the equivalent of $A17,000 every time they publish unauthorised reports on public emergencies would also apply to foreign media.
The law could also inhibit the much freer Hong Kong press, which often exposes unreported events such as public disasters, mass protests and riots and infectious disease outbreaks.
A senior official of the National People's Congress, Wang Yongqing, denied that the proposed law was censorship, saying it was necessary to prevent false reports and irresponsible journalism.
He said it would only apply if a media report caused "grave social consequences".
"If a report is true, then it will not cause any of the so-called grave consequences and the media outlet should not be punished," said Mr Wang, a vice-director of the State Council Legislative Affairs Office.
He then went on to encourage journalists to expose local officials who delayed information about an emergency or provided inaccurate information.
"If they impose a fine on you, an administrative penalty is not final; you can sue them in court (to appeal against the fine)," he said. However, he failed to explain how the accuracy of a report was to be determined given local officials' propensity to cover up or play down public emergencies.
Mr Wang also failed to explain clearly how it would be determined if a report was true if it differed from the official account -- particularly given the record of local governments.
The ousted editor of the investigative Bingdian (Freezing Point) a weekly supplement in China Youth Daily, Li Datong, said: "From past experience, we all know that the first government response to a public emergency is to lie."
Mr Li, who was sacked after publishing an essay critical of official history textbooks for being one-sided, cited the Songhua River late last year as a glaring example. Local officials initially claimed they were repairing water pipes when they cut off water supplies to Harbin, a city of almost 5 million people, after a massive chemical spill into the Songhua River in north-eastern China.
Journalism professor Zhan Jiang, of the China Youth University for Political Sciences, said the draft law was aimed at intimidating the media, despite official denials, as there was no clause in it to protect journalists who exposed the truth.
Professor Zhan told the South China Morning Post in comments that were unlikely to be published on the mainland, that the law "has an enormous chilling effect and it is basically shutting up the media outlets".
The law has been in the pipeline since China's initial cover up of the SARS epidemic in 2003.
The draft law that is now under review, and is expected to be adopted this year, has been criticised by journalists and others.
Mr Wang cited unauthorised reports on earthquake alarms and large animal disease outbreaks as areas of concern. Infectious disease outbreaks are particularly sensitive with international concern about how prepared China is for an outbreak of bird flu and how willing it is to share information.
Hong Kong media enjoy much greater press freedom than the mainland and are frequently able to publish reports on public disasters, health issues, protests and riots that are banned on the mainland.
Beijing to limit internet, mobiles
Shanghai --- Chinese authorities are to step up their efforts to control the internet and other communications technologies, including instant messaging and mobile phones.
Speaking at a conference in Beijing on Wednesday, Cai Wu, director of the powerful Information Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet, said new controls were needed "because more and more harmful information is being circulated online".
Another senior official who spoke at the same meeting, Wang Xudong, deputy minister of the information industry, said that his ministry's next target would be developing technologies to regulate web logs and search engines.
The measures contemplated include mandatory user registration for mobile phones, according to reports from the conference. Now, users can buy mobile phone cards in stores, obtaining a new telephone number without identifying themselves. Web sites also might be subject to registration.
The Government's statement of intent is being seen as the beginning of its most ambitious effort yet to rein in high-tech communication. Analysts said the measures indicated concern within the Government about its ability to maintain power.