Radio Free Asia reported on November 6, that China's National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) had announced (October 30) that a total of 205,000 Chinese journalists had passed the “Xi Thought” exam and obtained a passport-sized Chinese journalist ID card with gold letters against a red background. Chinese authorities had at the end of 2019, ordered journalists to pass an exam featuring Xi Jinping’s speeches. Cheng Yizhong, a senior Chinese media person who participated in the founding of Southern Metropolis Daily and Beijing News, told Radio Free Asia that this shows that China now has high confidence in its propaganda outlets, and this has nothing to do with press freedom. He said “(The Chinese government) is confident that it has reached a state of complete control over the terminal (reporter) and information. … With a press ID card, it is easier to maintain control.” The NPPA announcement also clarified that a Chinese journalist’s ID is good for a term of five years, contingent on annual reviews. The press ID’s can only be issued by news organizations that the government certifies. Among the questions asked at the exam were: Question: As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, what is the most basic principle of news and public opinion work? Answer: The Party’s leadership over news and public opinion work. Question: As Xi Jinping emphasized, what is the basic guidance for news and public opinion? Answer: Unity, stability, and positive propaganda. Question: What should cyberspace be? Answer: A new space for the Party to build consensus.
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