Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GUANGZHOU519
2009-08-28 08:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Guangzhou
Cable title:  

No Bad News: South China Media Guidance for

Tags:  PHUM KPAO ECPS PROP PGOV CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 280847Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0889
INFO CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE 0246
AMEMBASSY BEIJING 
AMCONSUL CHENGDU 
AMCONSUL SHENYANG 
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 
AMCONSUL HONG KONG 
CIA WASHDC 0237
DIA WASHDC 0233
NSC WASHINGTON DC 0058
HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L GUANGZHOU 000519 


STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 25X1 - Human
TAGS: PHUM KPAO ECPS PROP PGOV CH
SUBJECT: No Bad News: South China Media Guidance for
October National Anniversary

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUANGZHOU 000519


STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 25X1 - Human
TAGS: PHUM KPAO ECPS PROP PGOV CH
SUBJECT: No Bad News: South China Media Guidance for
October National Anniversary


1. (U) Classified by Consul General Brian L. Goldbeck for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


2. (C) SUMMARY: In Guangdong, propaganda officers have
begun preparations for the 60-year anniversary of the
People's Republic of China by instructing local news
outlets not to reprint articles from four Guangzhou and
Beijing-based newspapers, some of which are known for
their bold reporting. Media web portals have been told
to eliminate links from their home page to stories
unflattering to the Communist Party or government, but
have not yet been required to purge the content from
other areas of their websites. Authorities continue to
pressure local staff of foreign media outlets to refrain
from reporting on "sensitive" issues. If authorities
follow the same pattern used for the Tiananmen Square
anniversary, these restrictions might be eased in October
following the national day festivities. END SUMMARY.

Articles from Certain Papers Off-Limits
--------------


3. (C) In anticipation of the celebrations surrounding
the October 1, 2009, 60-year anniversary of the founding
of the People's Republic of China, Propaganda Department
officials in Guangdong have warned news outlets not to
reprint articles from four newspapers deemed particularly
sensitive: Southern Metropolis (Nanfang Dushi Bao),
Southern Weekend (Nanfang Zhoumo),Beijing News (Xinjing
Bao) and Beijing Times (Jinghua Shibao),according to
South China Morning Post Guangzhou Correspondent Ivan
Zhai (protect). Zhai, who is a locally hired journalist
working for the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post,
speculated that the goal of the instruction was to
contain the spread of any critical or unfavorable stories
published by these papers. (Comment: Southern Metropolis
and Southern Weekend are known for testing censors'
limits, for which editors have been fired in the past.
Beijing News, though technically Party controlled, has
also had its share of political trouble, even leading to
the dismissal of editors. It is unclear why Beijing
Times would be included in the ban, since it is run by
the Party-controlled People's Daily (Renmin Ribao). End
comment.)


4. (C) Likewise, managers of media web portals have been
encouraged to eliminate potentially sensitive reporting
from website home pages, according to Zhai. The content
does not necessarily have to be eliminated from the site,
but should not be accessible from the first page, he
said. Zhai estimated that up to 30% of some new-media
home pages is devoted to content that would likely be
deemed "sensitive" by authorities.

Tea with the Police, Again
--------------


5. (C) Two police officers compelled Zhai to have dinner
with them in late August, where they told Zhai that he
"should stay away from any sensitive stories" in the run-
up to the October national day celebrations. Without
elaborating, one of the officers also encouraged Zhai to
"do something for [his] country," which Zhai interpreted
as an appeal to write particularly favorable articles
about the government and Communist Party. Zhai noted to
Poloff that the last time he had been "invited" to dine
with authorities was several weeks prior to the 2009
anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident, when
similar restrictions were instituted.


6. (C) Zhai said that generally only local Chinese staff
of foreign media outlets receives such personal attention
from the authorities. Staff at domestic media outlets
receives instruction from the Propaganda Department via
their editors, he said, while foreign press services
without any local staff would escape this type of police
pressure entirely.

Restrictions Only Temporary?
--------------


7. (C) Zhai said he had perceived some relaxation of
official media control following comparable tightening
that took place in anticipation of the June 4 anniversary
of Tiananmen Square. He speculated that, similarly, the
current restrictions would only be enforced until
October, at which point pressure would once again be
loosened. Zhai joked that September might prove to be a
quiet month of "no news" if authorities have their
druthers.

GOLDBECK