Protests in China over newspaper censorship continue
Citizens are continuing to publicly protest against censorship of the Southern Weekly (a.k.a. Southern Weekend), one of China’s most liberal newspapers. The demonstrations began after editors and reporters at the Southern Weekly openly expressed resentment over what they called “meddling” from the top propaganda official in Guangdong Province. The press in the region has typical enjoyed a comparatively high level of freedom. Editors and reporters from the Southern Weekend became angry when a New Year’s editorial calling for more respect for constitutional rights was altered by Tuo Zhen, the top provincial propaganda official, to instead praise the ruling party.
After the reports of government interference with the paper, celebrities and business leaders rallied online in support of the Southern Weekly and freedom of the press in China. At least four popular newspapers in the country openly defied the government’s order to publish an article vilifying the staff of the Southern Weekly. Others published the editorial but included a disclaimer saying that it did not represent their views. Tense standoffs continue to take place outside the newspaper’s headquarters between rallies of free press advocates and Communist party supporters.
The Central Propaganda Department issued a directive to news organizations saying that the defiant outburst at Southern Weekend, also known as Southern Weekly, had involved “hostile foreign forces,” ordering the organizations to drop support for the Southern Weekly, and insisting that “party control of the media is an unwavering basic principle.”
“Pro-reform people had high hopes for Xi Jinping and they are trying to test the waters,’’ said Ding Xueliang, a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “But I don’t think the new leadership will allow the protests to become much bigger at street level because then it will become a stability issue.”
Propoganda officials and representatives of the Southern Weekly are currently engaged in ongoing negotiations. A former editor of the Nanfang Media Group, which includes Southern Weekly, says the journalists are demanding a formal inquiry into the alteration of the New Year’s editorial and withdrawal of a statement that absolved Tuo of responsibility for it.
“They want that statement to be removed, and they also want assurances about relaxing controls on journalists, not removing party oversight, but making it more reasonable, allowing reporters to challenge officials,” said the editor, who requested to remain anonymous. “The other main demand is for an impartial explanation of what happened, an accounting so it won’t happen again.”
