What new regulations might mean for China’s beleaguered reporters.
BY DAVID SCHLESINGER , ORVILLE SCHELL , ROGIER CREEMERS , WEN YUNCHAO JULY 22, 2014
On June 30, China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television posted a statement on its website warning Chinese journalists not to share information with their counterparts in the foreign press corps. Most major non-Chinese news organizations rely heavily on Chinese nationals to conduct research, identify sources, serve as interpreters, and, in some cases, interview sources who are reluctant to speak with foreigners over the telephone. The Chinese government doesn’t consider these employees of foreign news organizations to be official journalists (and it forbids Chinese nationals from working as correspondents for foreign media organizations.)
It’s unclear to what extent the new rules target them. But when overt censorship or self-censoring editors prevent Chinese journalists who work for the country’s own media outlets from publishing their stories, they often pass them on to reporters at foreign news organizations, sometimes doing so through their Chinese news assistants. It is this information exchange that the new rules appear to want to block. Media watchers and journalists discuss how they read the new restrictions and gauge their likely impact.
David Schlesinger, founder of Tripod Advisors and former Chairman of Thomson Reuters China:
For much of the last two and a half decades, Chinese journalists have been pushing the boundaries — many going into grey areas, others stepping boldly into danger zones, yet others going into forbidden areas and getting punished for it. Chinese journalism, both domestic and international, is much the better for this bravery.
International news bureaus, whose Chinese-national staff in the 1990s and before were limited to translating, making appointments, and the occasional nudge and wink about deeper stories, now have bureau “assistants” who are full correspondents in all but title and official recognition. Some get bylines, some go on to full journalistic careers outside of China’s borders. But all this has been done outside of the regulations and with the tacit acceptance if not approval of the authorities.