China: Tightening restrictions on news sites

Posted by Anna-Maria Mende on September 27, 2005 at 3:44 PM

China has announced new rules controlling the content of news sites on Sunday. News websites should only post articles on current politics and events, only "healthy and civilized news and information that is beneficial to the improvement of the quality of the nation, beneficial to its economic development and conducive to social progress will be allowed" and news sites will be "prohibited from spreading news and information that goes against state security and public interest", reports CyberJournalist.net. The New York Times writes that the rules form part of a broader effort to "police the Internet" which has developed as a major source of information for the Chinese population and to which 100 million now have access.

As the New York Times states, "experts who follow the Internet say one of the most significant changes is the ban on self-generated opinion and commentary articles that accompany the standard state-issued news bulletins on major portal sites." Only in August China announced that it will tighten restrictions on foreign media (see former posting).

Sources: New York Times, CyberJournalist.net

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