National Press and Publication Administration, Radio and Television Administration: Journalists and press stations are prohibited from conducting critical reporting without the consent of their own units.
The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television issued a notice on the 18th, requiring all news organizations to conduct a centralized inspection and cleanup of their reporter stations, websites, business departments, and editorial departments, earnestly correct existing violations of laws and regulations, properly control the gatekeeping of news interviews, prohibit reporter stations from conducting cross-industry and cross-field interviews and reporting, and prohibit journalists and reporter stations from carrying out critical reports without the approval of their own organizations.
The notice also pointed out that all news media should exercise strict control over the review of reports, and prohibit journalist stations and journalists from privately setting up websites, local channels of websites, special pages and supplements, internal references and other publications for publishing critical reports; they should exercise strict control over business activities, prohibit journalist stations and editorial and reporting personnel from establishing advertising, distribution, public relations and other companies of any kind, prohibit journalist stations and journalists from engaging in advertising, distribution, sponsorship and other business activities, and prohibit assigning advertising, distribution and other business tasks to journalist stations and editorial and reporting personnel.
A relevant official from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television stated that press, publication, radio, and television administrative departments at all levels must intensify their efforts to combat news extortion and fake news. They should repeatedly publicize whistleblower hotlines through news media and broadly mobilize grassroots units and the public to participate in oversight. For news organizations found to have engaged in news extortion, paid news, or paid silence, those with serious circumstances shall have their publication licenses revoked outright. For journalists found to have used news gathering and editing activities to seek improper gains, their press cards shall be revoked outright. For those suspected of crimes, they must be transferred to judicial authorities to be held criminally responsible in accordance with the law. For heads of news organizations bearing management responsibility, they must be transferred to the disciplinary inspection and supervision departments of their superior competent authorities to be held accountable for Party discipline and administrative discipline.
The official also stated that grassroots units and individuals can report any issues they discover immediately. The special action reporting hotlines are as follows: the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television at 010-65212870 and 010—65212787; the Cyberspace Administration of China at 12377; and the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications at 12390.
