Where Good News is No News

A new article about press freedom in China describes the wide range of prohibitions facing its bloggers and media. The BBC reports that the government bans not just stories, but stories that suggest the government bans stories. Among recent events which cannot be told are these three:

• possible disease outbreaks
• banning of Hollywood films
• political aspects of the Benazir Bhotto assassination

The unpredictable nature of government insecurities keeps China's journalists constantly wondering which items they may already have published might get them into trouble.

Some subjects are always out of bounds in China, such as speculation about China's national leaders. Other issues, such as health, education and inflation, are closely monitored because they are potentially controversial.

. . . .

The media was not always so strictly controlled in China. Zhan Jiang, a journalism professor at Beijing's China Youth University for Political Science, says there was more freedom to report political issues in the 1980s. But that relatively relaxed period came to an abrupt end in 1989 with the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protesters.

The professor is not optimistic that things will improve in the short term for Chinese journalists. "On one hand, (Chinese President) Hu Jintao suggests goals to aim for, such as democracy and the rule of law," says Mr Zhan. "But, on the other hand, the forces that oppose democracy, the rule of law and particularly freedom of speech are powerful."

The complete BBC story by Michael Bristow may be viewed here.

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