People’s Daily: 14,455 reporters’ credentials revoked since 2013

Source: http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2014-04/23/nw.D110000renmrb_20140423_5-04.htm

Since 2013, 216 periodicals were investigated for problems 'using news for extortion', accepting payment for news and fake news, with 49 correspondent bureaus and 14,455 reporters having credentials cancelled.

This was learned by reporters on the 22nd at the "Work-report Conference on the Special Action Against News Extortion and Fake News" , convened by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

IT was announced at the meeting that since 2013 more than 400 cases involving news media have been reported, with 216 journals being closed down and 76 suspended. The "shopping guide", "Chinese Specialties", "Network Guide" and "Economic Life Digest" had publishing licenses revoked. the "Western Times", the "reference report on party building in enterprises" and "China Foreign Trade" (English edition) were suspended for restructuring.. In addition, there are 49 correspondent stations and 14,455 reporters have had their press credentials revoked, and 193 more reporters have been put on probationary status.

On the issue of the fight against "false media, fake press bureaus and fake reporters", the head of the actions explained tha through today 258 cases of the 'three fakes' have been investigated across the country, capturing 1,513,000 illegal publications. Among these cases, defendants were given fixed term prison sentences in the August 15 false reporter extortion and blackmail case in Weinan, Shaani and in the July 21 case of real and false reporters colluding to blackmail and extort in Linfen, Shanxi; and the remaining cases are still in the investigation or prosecution phase.

Deputy Director and Party Secretary of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, Jiang Jianguo, said that news extortion and fake news cases reflect the crisis faced by traditional media in surviving in the onslaught from the internet, and that if a firm blow is not struck then it may seriously harm the credibility of the media and the order of market economy.

It is reported that the next step in the special action will be to further strengthen efforts online to eliminate pornography and illegal publications, while simultaneously promoting efforts against news extortion and and cleaning up and reorganizing local media correspondent organizations, to root out unscrupulous agencies with plans to extort and improving mechanisms for public reporting.