Chinese Officials Call for Greater Openness in Media
China’s state-controlled media must show more openness and air public discontent over official corruption and incompetence, the People’s Daily on Saturday quoted leading officials as saying.
The Chinese press reflects the views of the Communist Party and government too much and public opinion too little, the newspaper quoted Wang Houde, deputy general secretary of the National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, as saying.
“Newspapers and other propaganda organs must not avoid subjects of concern to the masses,” Wang told a seminar organized by the People’s Daily.
But he added that in covering “certain sensitive problems” the media has to consider the “social impact” of their reports.
The paper quoted other leading figures as saying public criticism in the media is vital to exposing “bureaucratism,” shorthand for corruption and negligence by public officials.
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