 | China Editors Reach Deal as Censorship Tensions Spread
Wall Street Journal-11 hours ago
Demonstrators protesting for free speech outside a newspaper office in Guangzhou, China scuffled with leftist nationalists on the second day of ...
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China's 'freedom of speech' standoff
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GUANGZHOU, China—Journalists at a
hard-hitting Chinese newspaper reached a deal with provincial
authorities that would allow the next issue of the paper to come out as
normal despite a conflict over censorship, even as the fallout appeared
to have spread to another newspaper in the same media group.
Staff at the popular Southern Weekly newspaper in Guangdong province were demanding an end to prepublication censorship and had said they might cancel the next issue, due out on Thursday. The editors wanted to be permitted to explain their conflict with the paper's management in print, according to a Southern Weekly editor.
"There's a verbal agreement in place.
Basically it's back to normal, but we'll see how the two sides react to
each other in the future," the editor said Wednesday. Under the deal, no
journalist who had protested would face punishment and propaganda
authorities would no longer directly interfere in content before
publication.
Wednesday, a person in Southern Weekly's administrative office said that all employees of the news department were working as normal. Guangdong propaganda authorities didn't respond to requests for comment.
Separately, media reports and online
posts said that Dai Zigeng, the publisher of the Beijing News, co-owned
by Southern Media Group, resigned after propaganda authorities forced
the newspaper to reprint a widely republished editorial in the
nationalist Global Times newspaper that said that those speaking out in
favor of the editors were being actively supported by overseas
human-rights activists. Those claims couldn't be independently
confirmed, though one Beijing News reporter reached by phone, when asked
if Mr. Dai had resigned, said, "Yes." A woman in Mr. Dai's office said
he was temporarily out of the office. Mr. Dai's cellphone was turned
off.
In a sign of growing uncertainty over the Beijing News, searches on social media sites appeared to be tightly restricted. Searches for the newspapers name, Mr. Dai's name and even the term "Beijing newspaper" were all blocked.
As protests supporting the editors outside the gates of Southern Weekly's headquarters in Guangzhou continued for a second day on Tuesday, about a dozen government supporters added to the fray, waving Chinese flags and denouncing the newspaper and those calling for greater media freedoms. "Support free speech, oppose traitorous free speech," they chanted.
The dispute
stems from a New Year's editorial published in Southern Weekly that
editors at the newspaper say was overhauled, under orders from
provincial propaganda chief Tuo Zhen, without consultation with the
newspaper's editorial staff.
What had been an editorial call for the government to respect the individual freedoms and rights enshrined in China's constitution ended up as a laudatory celebration of the government's achievements, editors said.
Former employees of Southern Weekly and several prominent academics have issued open letters demanding that Mr. Tuo resign.
Southern Weekly has long been celebrated by free-speech proponents for its willingness to push the boundaries of politically safe journalism in China. The dispute has emerged as an early test of how new Chinese leader Xi Jinping will handle challenges over media restrictions. The uproar over the rewritten editorial has galvanized reform-minded activists who use popular Chinese social-media websites.
Since Mr. Xi took over as Communist Party chief in November, he has repeatedly pledged to address concerns over power abuses by officials. Whether he plans to embark on wider political reform remains unclear.
The Global Times editorial attacked supporters of legal activist Chen Guangcheng, who departed China last year to study at New York University after escaping home detention.
Party leaders routinely blame "foreign forces" for unrest around China. The term was among the most searched on Sina SINA -1.35% Corp.'s Weibo microblogging service Tuesday, and many users mocked the Global Times fiery tone.
"What a magical country—anything can be linked to foreign forces," wrote one microblogger.
Blogger and sportswriter Li Chengpeng skewered the notion of overseas agents interfering in Chinese internal affairs in a sarcastic Weibo post drawing parallels to some recent high-profile allegations of transgressions by Chinese officials. "These foreign forces are odious," he wrote. "They steal money from the Chinese people and stash it in Swiss bank accounts. Their children drive Ferraris while they ignore Chinese school bus tragedies."
After Monday's Global Times editorial, a commentary published on a website under the party's Communist Youth League took a more moderate tack. It said internal disputes over propaganda efforts were normal and said Southern Weekly had served as eyes and ears for the party in the past, and would continue doing so in the future.
"Southern Weekend is a good newspaper," the commentary read. "Lots of people love reading it."
At Tuesday's protests in Guanzhou, the two opposing groups scuffled several times, leading police to intervene. Protesters in favor of increased media freedom mocked the pro-government camp, holding up money to imply that they were paid to protest.
The two sides also argued about ideology, with two protesters at one point engaging in a shouting match about the legacy of Mao Zedong.
—Yang Jie contributed to this article. Write to Paul Mozur at paul.mozur@dowjones.com, Josh Chin at josh.chin@wsj.com and Brian Spegele at brian.spegele@wsj.com
end quote from:
China Editors Reach Deal as Censorship Tensions Spread
more in China
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By PAUL MOZUR, JOSH CHIN and BRIAN SPEGELE
Demonstrators protesting for free speech
outside a newspaper office in Guangzhou, China scuffled with leftist
nationalists on the second day of anti-censorship protests. Video by
WSJ's Paul Mozur via #WorldStream.
Staff at the popular Southern Weekly newspaper in Guangdong province were demanding an end to prepublication censorship and had said they might cancel the next issue, due out on Thursday. The editors wanted to be permitted to explain their conflict with the paper's management in print, according to a Southern Weekly editor.
Censorship Protests at Southern Weekly Newspaper Gain Support in the Streets and Online in China
Will China's new leadership change its censorship tactics? Jeremy Goldkorn, founder of Danwei, a researc
Wednesday, a person in Southern Weekly's administrative office said that all employees of the news department were working as normal. Guangdong propaganda authorities didn't respond to requests for comment.
Associated Press
Supporters of Southern Weekly's staff protest in Guangzhou Tuesday.
In a sign of growing uncertainty over the Beijing News, searches on social media sites appeared to be tightly restricted. Searches for the newspapers name, Mr. Dai's name and even the term "Beijing newspaper" were all blocked.
As protests supporting the editors outside the gates of Southern Weekly's headquarters in Guangzhou continued for a second day on Tuesday, about a dozen government supporters added to the fray, waving Chinese flags and denouncing the newspaper and those calling for greater media freedoms. "Support free speech, oppose traitorous free speech," they chanted.
What had been an editorial call for the government to respect the individual freedoms and rights enshrined in China's constitution ended up as a laudatory celebration of the government's achievements, editors said.
Demonstrators protesting for free speech
outside a newspaper office in Guangzhou, China scuffled with leftist
nationalists on the second day of anti-censorship protests. Video by
WSJ's Paul Mozur via #WorldStream.
Southern Weekly has long been celebrated by free-speech proponents for its willingness to push the boundaries of politically safe journalism in China. The dispute has emerged as an early test of how new Chinese leader Xi Jinping will handle challenges over media restrictions. The uproar over the rewritten editorial has galvanized reform-minded activists who use popular Chinese social-media websites.
Since Mr. Xi took over as Communist Party chief in November, he has repeatedly pledged to address concerns over power abuses by officials. Whether he plans to embark on wider political reform remains unclear.
The Global Times editorial attacked supporters of legal activist Chen Guangcheng, who departed China last year to study at New York University after escaping home detention.
Party leaders routinely blame "foreign forces" for unrest around China. The term was among the most searched on Sina SINA -1.35% Corp.'s Weibo microblogging service Tuesday, and many users mocked the Global Times fiery tone.
"What a magical country—anything can be linked to foreign forces," wrote one microblogger.
Blogger and sportswriter Li Chengpeng skewered the notion of overseas agents interfering in Chinese internal affairs in a sarcastic Weibo post drawing parallels to some recent high-profile allegations of transgressions by Chinese officials. "These foreign forces are odious," he wrote. "They steal money from the Chinese people and stash it in Swiss bank accounts. Their children drive Ferraris while they ignore Chinese school bus tragedies."
After Monday's Global Times editorial, a commentary published on a website under the party's Communist Youth League took a more moderate tack. It said internal disputes over propaganda efforts were normal and said Southern Weekly had served as eyes and ears for the party in the past, and would continue doing so in the future.
"Southern Weekend is a good newspaper," the commentary read. "Lots of people love reading it."
At Tuesday's protests in Guanzhou, the two opposing groups scuffled several times, leading police to intervene. Protesters in favor of increased media freedom mocked the pro-government camp, holding up money to imply that they were paid to protest.
The two sides also argued about ideology, with two protesters at one point engaging in a shouting match about the legacy of Mao Zedong.
—Yang Jie contributed to this article. Write to Paul Mozur at paul.mozur@dowjones.com, Josh Chin at josh.chin@wsj.com and Brian Spegele at brian.spegele@wsj.com
A version of this article appeared January 9,
2013, on page A6 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with
the headline: China Editors Reach Deal as Censorship Tensions Spread.
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