Chinese censors clamp down on media coverage as cases surge

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the Communist government has clamped down on the news media and the Internet, signalling an effort to control the narrative about a crisis that has become a once-in-a-generation challenge for leaders in Beijing.

China's leaders appear to be strengthening information controls after a brief spell in which news organisations could report thoroughly and many negative comments on the official response were left uncensored online.

Internet platforms have removed articles that suggest shortcomings in the government's response or are otherwise negative about the outbreak. Local officials have also cracked down on what they call online "rumours" about the virus. 

such efforts, which have continued even after one person reprimanded for spreading rumours turned out to be a doctor sounding the alarm about early cases.

"strengthen control over online media" as one of several measures to maintain social stability.

a mandatory change of tone in their stories and fresh orders to hew to the official line. Journalists at the Xinhua news agency, for example, have been told to keep their coverage positive, according to internal instructions seen by The New York Times. They were ordered not to continue mentioning that the World Health Organisation had declared a global health emergency and not to cover every new case abroad. Across the rest of China's news landscape, articles on a broad range of themes have been blocked or deleted online. They include reports in the financial news magazine Caijing about deaths in Wuhan that might not have been counted in the official tally and a first-hand account of a funeral home in Wuhan.

Qns:

1. Is regulation of the press desirable? (Cam. 2017)

2. Consider the view that social media has more influence than politicians. (Cam. 2019)

3. How effectively is public health promoted and managed in your society? (Cam.2015)