The shifting dynamics of censorship and control
As Xi Jinping takes office as president of China, the citizenry he governs is more sophisticated and interconnected than any before, largely because of the Internet. A complex digital censorship system–combined with a more traditional approach to media control, such as jailing journalists–keeps free expression in check. Repressive regimes worldwide look to China as a model, but Beijing’s system of control is increasingly endangered. A special report by the Committee to Protect Journalists
Issued March 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Beyond the Reach of Censors
The Internet gives Chinese citizens a place to air grievances and journalists a platform to publish news not welcome in traditional media. Weibo is a powerful weapon against the Great Firewall, but an information void persists. By Sophie Beach
Interactive Graphic: Internet usage in China
Chinese journalists who ask tough questions risk censorship, demotion, prosecution, imprisonment, and extrajudicial punishment. Vague legal language means one never knows when one might cross a forbidden line. By Madeline Earp
Interactive Graphic: Journalists Imprisoned in China
Chinese state media are expanding globally, while Beijing pushes in international forums for more local control of the Internet. The risks include the spread of self-censorship and Internet filtering outside China’s borders. By Danny O’Brien and Madeline Earp
Interactive Graphic: Bo Xilai Scandal: How news breaks in China
CPJ’s recommendations to Chinese authorities and the international community.
Video. Censored: A Chinese Journalists Inside View
Liu Jianfeng worked in China’s state-controlled media for nearly two decades before pressure and frustration prompted him to quit. But he continues to report on public issues such as land grabs, and hopes to find a new model for investigative journalism. By Jonah Kessel
In other languages: 中文 (pdf)
In print: Download the pdf
PHOTO: Police separate a supporter of Southern Weekly magazine from leftists confronting him outside the office of the newspaper in Guangzhou on January 9, 2013. (Reuters/Bobby Yip)