CHINA-INTERNAL: INTENSIFIED MEDIA CONTROLS
The Chinese government issued new rules on
May 2, 2017, further tightening controls over the already heavily censored
online news services. The new regulations, which go into
effect June 1, require the top editor of domestic
online news services be a Chinese citizen and that any cooperation
with a foreign entity be submitted to a security review by regulators. The
rules are directed at services based in China and don’t appear to affect
foreign news organizations with headquarters outside the country. The
regulations said on-line news sites should “promote the formation of
a positive, healthy, upright and virtuous internet culture, and protect the
national and public interest.” The rules apply to news websites,
blogs, live-streaming video sites, mobile messaging services and other platforms
that produce news related to politics, the economy, the military,
foreign affairs and other topics of public interest. |