Mediaboss Marketing

BEIJING

China's state media released a series of editorial and opinion pieces in recent days that featured some blunter-than-usual commentaries on censorship and the governments tight control over news.

Earlier in the week, when Chinese officials confirmed a North Korean soldier had crossed the border and killed four residents in Chinas northeast, the Global Times, a tabloid newspaper owned by the Communist Partys mouthpiece, the Peoples Daily, was not pleased.

In an editorial, the Times, which regularly gives government positions strong backing, accused authorities of embarrassing domestic media by slowly releasing information.

"It is inappropriate that no voice over the case, involving the death of four Chinese citizens, has been heard from the Chinese side for more than a week, until it was first reported by a South Korean news agency," the editorial said.

It went on to note that whenever diplomatic incidents occur in China, the public typically learns what has happened from foreign media or third-party reports.

"Chinese authorities and the mainstream media have no excuse for maintaining this norm," the editorial said.

Recent criticism not a 'one-off' event

That was not the first time this week that the Global Times took authorities to task for poor communication between the public and the media.

It also weighed in on a decision by censors to temporarily pull a popular historical Chinese drama, "The Empress of China," from airwaves. The show was removed so censors could edit out scenes that revealed too much of the main stars cleavage.

Continue reading here:
China State Media Make Feisty Start in New Year