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Beijing (AFP) - Chinese censors should pay more attention to public opinion, a state-run newspaper argued Wednesday, after an online backlash over the removal of all cleavage from a TV show about China's only female emperor.

"Empress of China", about the Tang dynasty ruler Wu Zetian, who came to power at the end of the 7th century, was abruptly taken off the air soon after its debut on satellite station Hunan TV late last month, ostensibly for "technical reasons".

When it returned a week later, the show -- which stars actress Fan Bingbing in the title role -- had been conspicuously edited so that shots of female characters in mildly revealing period dresses were instead tightly cropped to remove any sight of the bulge of a breast.

The move ignited the fury of China's Internet users, who contended that censors had gone a step too far and had sought to rewrite the country's fashion history.

The Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, noted in an editorial that while the censorship was "largely done out of moral concerns", the resulting public outcry should serve as a warning for the future.

"While it is powerful, censorship lacks authority," it said. "In this sense, when using censorship, more considerations should be given to public opinion to garner support and avoid similar incidents."

The rules governing censorship in China are opaque and reasons are not provided for why cuts are made, but negative portrayals of contemporary politics are often banned, as are revealing scenes and issues that authorities believe could lead to social unrest.

The Global Times insisted that the system of control was necessary. "The reality is that censorship exists in many countries and it is unlikely to be reversed in China," it wrote.

The strict approval process has been criticised as arbitrary at times, with films and TV series often scuttled at the last moment -- and sometimes, as in the case of "Empress of China", even after they have begun airing.

Last month, the premiere of acclaimed director Jiang Wen's latest film, "Gone with the Bullets", was abruptly delayed due to eleventh-hour demands by censors.

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China cleavage censorship 'lacks authority': state media

Screengrab from Youtube

BEIJING, China Chinese censors should pay more attention to public opinion, a state-run newspaper argued Wednesday, after an online backlash over the removal of all cleavage from a TV show about Chinas only female emperor.

Empress of China, about the Tang dynasty ruler Wu Zetian, who came to power at the end of the 7th century, was abruptly taken off the air soon after its debut on satellite station Hunan TV late last month, ostensibly for technical reasons.

When it returned a week later, the show which stars actress Fan Bingbing in the title role had been conspicuously edited so that shots of female characters in mildly revealing period dresses were instead tightly cropped to remove any sight of the bulge of a breast.

The move ignited the fury of Chinas Internet users, who contended that censors had gone a step too far and had sought to rewrite the countrys fashion history.

The Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, noted in an editorial that while the censorship was largely done out of moral concerns, the resulting public outcry should serve as a warning for the future.

While it is powerful, censorship lacks authority, it said. In this sense, when using censorship, more considerations should be given to public opinion to garner support and avoid similar incidents.

The rules governing censorship in China are opaque and reasons are not provided for why cuts are made, but negative portrayals of contemporary politics are often banned, as are revealing scenes and issues that authorities believe could lead to social unrest.

The Global Times insisted that the system of control was necessary. The reality is that censorship exists in many countries and it is unlikely to be reversed in China, it wrote.

The strict approval process has been criticised as arbitrary at times, with films and TV series often scuttled at the last moment and sometimes, as in the case of Empress of China, even after they have begun airing.

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China cleavage censorship irks viewers

A fascinating insight into the state of press freedom (lack of) in Russia is provided by Valery Pavlukevich on the Open Democracy site.

He profiles just one region, Samara - in the southeastern part of European Russia beside the Volga - where there are 363 newspapers and more than 60 radio and television stations. Yet despite the quantity, he says, there is little quality because few are truly independent.

He quotes Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the leading opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, as saying that journalism in Russia has become a form of prostitution.

Nearly all media outlets in Samara are controlled by a single official entity overseen by the regional governor, Nikolai Merkushkin. During his election campaign, the newspaper Volzhskaya Kommuna, which is funded by the regional budget, included six photographs of Merkushkin in each issue.

Private media outlets are also loyal to the governor. One group that publishes five popular newspapers plus a radio and TV broadcaster is owned by the deputy governor.

In September, Sergey Melnik, a journalist on the radio station Lada FM in Tolyatti, was suspended while on air for speaking about the Samara gubernatorial elections.

In addition to such overt censorship, there is censorship behind the scenes. Officials from the governors media relations department have called TV news editors to stop the broadcasting of reports of opposition rallies.

Despite the censorship and pressure from officials, Pavlukevich writes that independent journalists and independent media outlets in Samara do exist. There are two independent newspapers and an online journal, all of which attract many readers.

Andrey Astashkin, a blogger and deputy head of the local cell of the liberal political party Yabloko, is quoted as saying: Today, Samara is a region with no freedom of speech. The internet remains the only space for independent media here.

Source: Open Democracy

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Russian region where press freedom is compromised

Chinese censors should pay more attention to public opinion, a state-run newspaper argues, after an online backlash over the removal of all cleavage from a TV show about China's only female emperor

TOO MUCH CLEAVAGE? Fan Bingbing as Wu Zetian in the TV show 'The Empress of China.' Image via Sina Weibo

BEIJING, China Chinese censors should pay more attention to public opinion, a state-run newspaper argued Wednesday, January 7, after an online backlash over the removal of all cleavage from a TV show about China's only female emperor.

Empress of China, about the Tang dynasty ruler Wu Zetian, who came to power at the end of the 7th century, was abruptly taken off the air soon after its debut on satellite station Hunan TV late last month, ostensibly for "technical reasons".

When it returned a week later, the show which stars actress Fan Bingbing in the title role had been conspicuously edited so that shots of female characters in mildly revealing period dresses were instead tightly cropped to remove any sight of the bulge of a breast.

The move ignited the fury of China's Internet users, who contended that censors had gone a step too far and had sought to rewrite the country's fashion history.

The Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, noted in an editorial that while the censorship was "largely done out of moral concerns", the resulting public outcry should serve as a warning for the future.

"While it is powerful, censorship lacks authority," it said. "In this sense, when using censorship, more considerations should be given to public opinion to garner support and avoid similar incidents."

The rules governing censorship in China are opaque and reasons are not provided for why cuts are made, but negative portrayals of contemporary politics are often banned, as are revealing scenes and issues that authorities believe could lead to social unrest.

The Global Times insisted that the system of control was necessary. "The reality is that censorship exists in many countries and it is unlikely to be reversed in China," it wrote.

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'Empress of China' cleavage censorship 'lacks authority' state media

(01-07 12:07)

Chinese censors should pay more attention to public opinion, a state-run newspaper argued Wednesday, after an online backlash over the removal of all cleavage from a TV show about China's only female emperor. "Empress of China'', about the Tang dynasty ruler Wu Zetian, who came to power at the end of the 7th century, was abruptly taken off the air soon after its debut on satellite station Hunan TV late last month, ostensibly for ''technical reasons''. When it returned a week later, the show -- which stars actress Fan Bingbing in the title role -- had been conspicuously edited so that shots of female characters in mildly revealing period dresses were instead tightly cropped to remove any sight of the bulge of a breast. The move ignited the fury of China's Internet users, who contended that censors had gone a step too far and had sought to rewrite the country's fashion history. The Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, noted in an editorial that while the censorship was "largely done out of moral concerns'', the resulting public outcry should serve as a warning for the future. "While it is powerful, censorship lacks authority,'' it said. "In this sense, when using censorship, more considerations should be given to public opinion to garner support and avoid similar incidents.'' The rules governing censorship in China are opaque and reasons are not provided for why cuts are made, but negative portrayals of contemporary politics are often banned, as are revealing scenes and issues that authorities believe could lead to social unrest. The Global Times insisted that the system of control was necessary. "The reality is that censorship exists in many countries and it is unlikely to be reversed in China,'' it wrote. The strict approval process has been criticized as arbitrary at times, with films and TV series often scuttled at the last moment -- and sometimes, as in the case of "Empress of China'', even after they have begun airing. Last month, the premiere of acclaimed director Jiang Wen's latest film, ''Gone with the Bullets'', was abruptly delayed due to eleventh-hour demands by censors. An online survey released by the Sina Weibo microblogging service on Monday found that nearly 95 percent of respondents disapproved of the "Empress of China'' censorship. According to the culture ministry website chinaculture.org, Tang dynasty women inherited the traditional Chinese "ruqun'' jacket and gown combination ''and developed it further, opening up the collar as far as exposing the cleavage between the breasts''. "This was unheard of and unimaginable in the previous dynasties, in which women had to cover their entire body according to the Confucian classics,'' it says. "But the new style was soon embraced by the open-minded aristocratic women of the Tang Dynasty.'' --AFP

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Cleavage censorship 'lacks authority': state media