View source for Freedom of the press in China

'''Freedom of the press in China''' refers to the journalism standards and its freedom and censorship exercised by the [[government of China]]. The 1982 [[Constitution of China|state constitution]] formally guarantees "freedom of speech [and] of the press" which the government, in practice, routinely violates with total impunity, according to [[Reporters Without Borders]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=23 May 2023 |title=China |url=https://rsf.org/en/country/china |publisher=[[Reporters Without Borders]] |access-date=22 June 2022 |archive-date=19 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619213202/https://rsf.org/en/country/china |url-status=live }}</ref>

Authorities often label independent or investigative coverage as "fake news".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55666153|title=China's pressure and propaganda - the reality of reporting Xinjiang|work=BBC News|date=15 January 2021|access-date=8 March 2021|archive-date=5 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905202822/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55666153|url-status=live}}</ref> Since [[Xi Jinping]] became the [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|general secretary]] of the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) in 2012, various commentators, protesters, feminists, lawyers, journalists, and activists have been arrested, detained, jailed, and threatened for attempting to exercise press freedom.<ref name="Schlesinger Henochowicz Wang 2016">{{cite web |last1=Schlesinger |first1=David |last2=Henochowicz |first2=Anne |last3=Wang |first3=Yaqiu |date=2016-03-17 |title=Why Xi Jinping's Media Controls Are 'Absolutely Unyielding' |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/03/17/why-xi-jinpings-media-controls-absolutely-unyielding-censorship-china-economy-speech/ |access-date=2021-03-10 |website=[[Foreign Policy]] |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410191832/https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/03/17/why-xi-jinpings-media-controls-absolutely-unyielding-censorship-china-economy-speech/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2020 World Press Freedom Index states that China is trying to establish a "new world media order" and maintain a system of information hyper-control, which the report says had negative effects for the entire world during the coronavirus public health crisis.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-19 |title=2020 World Press Freedom Index: "Entering a decisive decade for journalism, exacerbated by coronavirus" {{!}} RSF |url=https://rsf.org/en/2020-world-press-freedom-index-entering-decisive-decade-journalism-exacerbated-coronavirus |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=rsf.org |language=en |archive-date=7 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507142239/https://rsf.org/en/2020-world-press-freedom-index-entering-decisive-decade-journalism-exacerbated-coronavirus |url-status=live }}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, Reporters Without Borders called China "the world's largest jailer of journalists."<ref name=":0" />

== Background ==
The country's constitution prohibits media workers, including internet users, from publishing, writing, circulating, or otherwise posting [[fake news]], misinformation, disinformation, and [[propaganda]] related to various subjects such as [[national security]], terrorism, ethnic hatred, violence, and obscenity. However, most private journalists are restricted from sharing certain views and opinions with the general public.<ref name="loc.gov">{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Laney |date=8 June 2019 |title=Limits on Freedom of Expression |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/2019668149/ |website=[[Library of Congress]] |access-date=20 January 2024 |archive-date=1 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601153310/https://www.loc.gov/item/2019668149 |url-status=live }}</ref>

China introduced Article 35 of the constitution of China that provides its citizens the right to observe "press freedom" in a free environment. However, Article 51 prohibits such activities for the [[national interest]], which limits press freedom in the country. [[Mass media in China|Chinese mass media]] such as radio and television broadcast news fall under Article 25, which limits their ability to broadcast plays, news, and other forms of information in free journalism standards. This, according to the Regulation on the Administration of Publishing, prevents transmitting of such content that poses risks to [[sovereignty]] and public interest.<ref name="loc.gov" />

Freedom of the Press in China was greatest during the early period (1966–1968) of the [[Cultural Revolution]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Russo |first=Alessandro |title=Cultural Revolution and Revolutionary Culture |date=2020 |publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |isbn=978-1-4780-1218-4 |location=Durham |pages=148 |doi=10.2307/j.ctv15kxg2d |jstor=j.ctv15kxg2d |oclc=1156439609}}</ref> During this period, several [[Red Guards|Red Guard]] organizations also operated independent printing presses to publish newspapers, articles, speeches, and [[big-character poster]]s.<ref name=":1" /> [[Michael Schoenhals]] writes that one of the most striking features of the Cultural Revolution is the spread of publications by "revolutionary mass organizations" in 1966 and 1967, reflecting a plurality of values and opinions in society at odds with conventional stereotypes about [[Red Guards]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Jeremy |title=Maoism at the Grassroots: Everyday Life in China's Era of High Socialism |last2=Johnson |first2=Matthew D. |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |year=2015 |isbn=9780674287204 |editor-last=Brown |editor-first=Jeremy |chapter=Introduction |editor-last2=Johnson |editor-first2=Matthew D.}}</ref>{{Reference page|page=11}}

Media organizations and its workers, explicitly, foreign media working within the country, "must" obtain a license before they engage in journalism compiled with standards which are [[media regulation|regulated]] by the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China)|foreign affairs authority]]. Foreign media have limited access or freedom to attend press conferences of the [[National People's Congress]]. However, the [[law of China]] allows state-owned media with "free press", such as raising questions or concerns in the press conference.<ref name="loc.gov" /> Domestically, all credentialled journalists must study Xi Jinping thought through the "[[Xuexi Qiangguo|Study Xi, Strengthen the Country propaganda application]]" in order for them to renew their press credentials.<ref name=":0" /> The app instructs journalists to "correctly guide public opinion."<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 20, 2023 |title=How China trains its journalists to report "correctly" |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2023/07/20/how-china-trains-its-journalists-to-report-correctly |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-07-21 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=21 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721180321/https://www.economist.com/china/2023/07/20/how-china-trains-its-journalists-to-report-correctly |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Global rank ==
{{Further|World Press Freedom Index}}
{{As of|2023}}, the global rank of China declined to 179 out of 180, with only [[North Korea]] having less press freedom. China has been one of the countries with nominal freedom of press regulations. [[Reporters Without Borders]], a non-government organization dedicated to safeguarding the right to information, published an annual report, the [[World Press Freedom Index]], indicating that the Chinese Communist Party, the ruling party, is exercising [[self-censorship|self-]] and direct censorship on the press.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 May 2023 |title=China : Even tighter control |url=https://rsf.org/en/china |website=[[Reporters Without Borders]] |access-date=8 March 2021 |archive-date=31 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331163033/https://rsf.org/en/china |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Censorship ==
{{see also|Internet censorship in China|Book censorship in China}}
According to Reporters Without Borders, the role of the media in China is to impart state propaganda.<ref name=":0"/> According to the [[Committee to Protect Journalists]], in 2023, China ranks as the "worst jailer of journalists," with [[Uyghurs]] making up almost half of all imprisoned journalists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2024 |title=China is the world's worst jailer of journalists, CPJ says |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/journalists-01192024171213.html |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=[[Radio Free Asia]] |language=en |archive-date=20 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120052737/https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/journalists-01192024171213.html |url-status=live }}</ref> China often [[List of websites blocked in mainland China|blocks news websites, social media platforms, and other services]] such as Facebook, Gmail, Google, Instagram, and Pinterest, and has limited their access to the general public. The [[Great Firewall]] has blocked most foreign news websites, such as [[Voice of America]], [[BBC News]]'','' ''[[The New York Times]],'' and ''[[Bloomberg News]]''. In 2017, Chinese authorities also removed about "300 politically sensitive articles" from the [[Cambridge University Press]]. However, this article removal was later contested online on [[Change.org]]. In 2019, some scholars and writers deleted their posts or permanently deleted their feeds after authorities asked them to do so. Some writers were warned for retweeting or liking posts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 16, 2019 |title=One Country, One Censor: How China undermines media freedom in Hong Kong and Taiwan |url=https://cpj.org/reports/2019/12/one-country-one-censor-china-hong-kong-taiwan-press-freedom/ |website=[[Committee to Protect Journalists]] |access-date=8 March 2021 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308084359/https://cpj.org/reports/2019/12/one-country-one-censor-china-hong-kong-taiwan-press-freedom/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Under [[Xi Jinping]], press censorship has increased.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-03 |title=Press Freedom Continues to Face Setbacks in China |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/press-freedom-continues-to-face-setbacks-in-china/4902861.html |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=[[Voice of America]] |language=en |archive-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208031316/https://www.voanews.com/a/press-freedom-continues-to-face-setbacks-in-china/4902861.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The authorities often raid pro-democracy activists and media owners in an attempt to suppress the press.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-china-is-limiting-freedom-of-the-press-in-hong-kong|title=How China is limiting freedom of the press in Hong Kong|date=10 August 2020|website=PBS NewsHour|access-date=8 March 2021|archive-date=11 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811170122/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-china-is-limiting-freedom-of-the-press-in-hong-kong|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, China blocked all available versions of [[Wikipedia]] in the country without any notice to [[Wikimedia Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 May 2019 |title=Wikipedia blocked in China in all languages |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48269608 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=8 March 2021 |archive-date=15 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515001341/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48269608 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Chinese journalists are often detained for alleged negative coverage. In 2016, more than twenty journalists, including commentator Jia Jia, were arrested after an open letter was published calling on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to resign. According to Reporters without Borders, independent journalists and bloggers are often surveilled, harassed, detained, and, in some cases, tortured.<ref name=":0"/> A report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2016 asserted that an estimated 49 journalists are serving prison terms, indicating that China is a "prolific jailer of media workers".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2016-04-28 |title=China Gets Worst Ever Score in Global Press-Freedom Survey |url=https://time.com/4310607/china-press-freedom-media-xi-jinping-censorship-human-rights/ |access-date=2024-01-20 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-date=14 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314083653/https://time.com/4310607/china-press-freedom-media-xi-jinping-censorship-human-rights/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, activist and media mogul, [[Jimmy Lai]], was arrested on accusations that he had used [[Apple Daily]] and conspired with six former executives of the news platform to produce "seditious publications" and colluding with "foreign forces." The platform was critical of Chinese and Hong Kong governments. In February 2026, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-02-09 |title=Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years' jail in landmark case |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-09/hong-kong-media-mogul-jimmy-lai-sentenced-to-20-years-jail/106321070 |access-date=2026-02-09 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU |archive-date=9 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260209050753/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-09/hong-kong-media-mogul-jimmy-lai-sentenced-to-20-years-jail/106321070 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Committee to Protect Journalists' Asia-Pacific director Beh Lih Yi called Lai's conviction "Hong Kong's most shameful act of persecution of journalists."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-06 |title=Jimmy Lai, 6 Apple Daily execs to be sentenced in Hong Kong's biggest media trial |url=https://cpj.org/2026/02/jimmy-lai-6-apple-daily-execs-to-be-sentenced-in-hong-kongs-biggest-media-trial/ |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=Committee to Protect Journalists |language=en-US |archive-date=8 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260208172722/https://cpj.org/2026/02/jimmy-lai-6-apple-daily-execs-to-be-sentenced-in-hong-kongs-biggest-media-trial/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The European Union's foreign affairs spokesperson stated that the union deplored Lai's prison sentence and urged the authorities to stop prosecuting journalists. Lai's co-defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six years and three months to 10 years. Those convicted include publisher Cheung Kim-hung, associate publisher Chan Pui-man, editor-in-chief Ryan Law, executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, executive editor-in-chief for English news Fung Wai-kong, and editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/9/hong-kong-media-mogul-jimmy-lai-faces-sentencing-in-national-security-trial |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=9 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260209085349/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/9/hong-kong-media-mogul-jimmy-lai-faces-sentencing-in-national-security-trial |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2026, Taiwan's Presidential Office criticized China for expelling ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' correspondent Vivian Wang in February following an interview with President [[Lai Ching-te]], showing concerns over press freedom and the treatment of international media.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-06-01 |title=Taiwan slams China's press suppression |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2026/06/01/2003858315 |access-date=2026-06-03 |website=[[Taipei Times]] |archive-date=3 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260603094208/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2026/06/01/2003858315 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-05-31 |title=Taiwan condemns China over expulsion of NYT reporter after Lai interview |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202605310004 |access-date=2026-06-03 |website=[[Focus Taiwan]] |language=en-US |archive-date=3 June 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260603094212/https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202605310004 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pierson |first=David |date=2026-06-01 |title=Taiwan Criticizes China Over Expulsion of Times Reporter |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/world/asia/taiwan-china-new-york-times-expulsion.html |access-date=2026-06-03 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In July 2026, the [[Foreign Correspondents' Club of China]] (FCCC) stated in its annual report that foreign journalists in China faced surveillance, official interference, visa-related issues, and other obstacles to reporting.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2026-07-20 |title=Official restrictions, intimidation are routine for foreign journalists working in China |url=https://www.tibetanreview.net/official-restrictions-intimidation-are-routine-for-foreign-journalists-working-in-china/ |access-date=2026-07-22 |website=[[Tibetan Review]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Human rights in China]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite web | title=Foreign journalists in China see 'rapid decline in media freedom': survey | website=U.S. | date=2021-03-01 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-media-idUSKCN2AT182 | ref={{sfnref | U.S. | 2021}} | access-date=2021-03-08}}
* {{cite web | last=Yu | first=Elaine | title=Will Hong Kong's Free Press Survive? | website=Columbia Journalism Review | date=2021-03-08 | url=https://www.cjr.org/special_report/hong-kong-democracy-protests-press-freedom.php/ | access-date=2021-03-08}}
* {{cite book | last=Guo | first=Yi | title=Freedom of the Press in China: A Conceptual History, 1831-1949 | publisher=Amsterdam University Press | year=2020 | isbn=978-9-0485-4462-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LJT5DwAAQBAJ | access-date=2021-03-09 }}

[[Category:Freedom of the press by country|China]]
[[Category:Human rights abuses in China]]
[[Category:Political controversies in China]]
[[Category:Political repression in China]]
[[Category:Mass media in China]]