Op-Ed: China’s media censorship is making the coronavirus outbreak even more lethal
4 years, 11 months ago

Op-Ed: China’s media censorship is making the coronavirus outbreak even more lethal

LA Times  

People waiting in a hospital in Wuhan, China, where new evidence suggests that the first human infections occurred in November, if not earlier, rather than in December, as Chinese officials said. As reports of new coronavirus infections soar, it’s becoming clear that Chinese government leaders have been putting their political interests ahead of public health. While Chinese authorities assure domestic and international audiences that their efforts will contain the outbreak, censors are busily deleting social media posts and journalists’ reporting that contradict the official narrative. Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a nonprofit organization with extensive contacts in China, has already tracked more than 300 cases of internet users who were penalized for sharing unofficial information on social media. Sarah Cook is a senior research analyst at Freedom House, director of its China Media Bulletin, and author of “Beijing’s Global Megaphone: The Expansion of Chinese Communist Party Media Influence since 2017.”

China Media Public Health Information Censorship Official Chinese Wuhan  information  health  coronavirus  chinas  outbreak  lethal  public  official  infections  censorship  china  social  oped  media  chinese  making

History of this topic

Is there an epidemic brewing in China?
1 week, 1 day ago

Is there an epidemic brewing in China?

India Today  

Social media platforms have been inundated with alarming claims about a new epidemic spreading across China. Users are sharing videos showing overcrowded hospitals and suggesting the rapid spread of multiple respiratory viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19. However, there is currently no credible evidence to support these claims, and official confirmation from health authorities remains absent. The …

Beijing 'crackdown' on deadly attacks in China after videos evade censors
1 week, 2 days ago

Beijing 'crackdown' on deadly attacks in China after videos evade censors

ABC  

Beijing has warned of a "crackdown" on random violent crimes in 2025, in the wake of a spate of mass attacks on the public in the final months of 2024. Dr Wang, from the University of New South Wales, said the government considered the death penalty "an effective means of delivering justice, showing deterrence and maintaining social stability and public …

From Autonomy to Control: How China Dismantled Hong Kong’s Free Press
3 months, 4 weeks ago

From Autonomy to Control: How China Dismantled Hong Kong’s Free Press

News 18  

Former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen, and acting chief editor Patrick Lam of Hong Kong’s Stand News, have been found guilty of sedition, marking the first such conviction since the territory was handed over to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. This ruling represents the latest effort by the Chinese-backed government in Hong Kong to suppress journalists and media outlets, following …

"I don't think it's defensible": Under Trump, a Pentagon campaign spread anti-vaccine misinformation
6 months, 3 weeks ago

"I don't think it's defensible": Under Trump, a Pentagon campaign spread anti-vaccine misinformation

Salon  

In the thick of the pandemic, the Trump-era U.S. military launched what Reuters describes as a “clandestine operation” to spread anti-vaccine sentiments, particularly in the Philippines, as part of an apparent effort to harm Chinese interests, an initiative that ended only after President Joe Biden took office. As part of its campaign to sow doubt about public health measures, the …

US ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China’s COVID efforts: Report
6 months, 3 weeks ago

US ran secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China’s COVID efforts: Report

Al Jazeera  

Reuters news agency investigation reveals how US military launched a clandestine programme during the pandemic to discredit China’s medical efforts. The Pentagon tailored the campaign to local audiences across Central Asia and the Middle East using a combination of fake social media accounts on multiple platforms to spread fear of China’s vaccines among Muslims at a time when the virus …

China’s Management of Covid-19 Crisis: A Case Study in Disinformation and Censorship - News18
1 year ago

China’s Management of Covid-19 Crisis: A Case Study in Disinformation and Censorship - News18

News 18  

Censorship, surveillance, and authoritarianism have become synonyms with China in recent years. The court observed that had the government officials heeded to the warnings from the detained healthcare workers and adopted precautionary measures than taking punitive measures by labelling them as rumourmonger, “it would’ve meant we could better control the coronavirus today.” Dr Li contracted covid19 on January 8, 2020, …

Congress demands CDC hands over everything it knows about China's mystery pneumonia outbreak
1 year, 1 month ago

Congress demands CDC hands over everything it knows about China's mystery pneumonia outbreak

Daily Mail  

Outbreaks of the new illness across China were first made public November 21 The committee is demanding answers from CDC to its questions by December 13 A Congressional committee tonight sent a scathing letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demanding it be more transparent regarding the mysterious outbreak of pneumonia in China, stressing the agency could not …

China's pneumonia scare: Transparency please
1 year, 1 month ago

China's pneumonia scare: Transparency please

Live Mint  

China, where covid broke out in November 2019, is in the spotlight again. The World Health Organization has asked the country for details on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children. In a recent statement, the WHO noted an increase in influenza-like ailments compared to the same autumn of the past three years in China’s …

WHO calls on China to reinstate masks and keep distance amid outbreak
1 year, 1 month ago

WHO calls on China to reinstate masks and keep distance amid outbreak

Daily Mail  

People in China should wear masks, socially distance and stay home if unwell amid an outbreak of a mystery respiratory illness, global health chiefs have warned. These include 'recommended vaccination; keeping distance from people who are ill; staying home when ill; getting tested and medical care as needed; wearing masks as appropriate; ensuring good ventilation; and regular hand-washing', the WHO …

China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory
1 year, 10 months ago

China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory

Firstpost  

Beijing: For the second day in a row, China on Wednesday dismissed U.S. suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been triggered by a virus that leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Responding to comments by FBI Director Christopher Wray, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the involvement of the U.S. intelligence community was evidence enough of the “politicization of origin …

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, report on surveillance shows
1 year, 10 months ago

China ‘harassed’ foreign journalists in 2022, report on surveillance shows

Hindustan Times  

Foreign journalists in China faced strict Covid controls, harassment and constant surveillance in 2022, a report said. Nearly half of foreign journalists in China were ordered to leave a place or denied access on health and safety grounds in 2022 even though they did not present any "health risk by China's own standards", the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China said …

WHO appeals to China to release more COVID-19 information
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO appeals to China to release more COVID-19 information

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The World Health Organization has …

Six fallacies and truths about China's epidemic control
2 years ago

Six fallacies and truths about China's epidemic control

China Daily  

This aerial photo taken on Jan 1, 2023 shows a night view of the commercial area around Tianhe Road in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province. BEIJING -- Life is returning to normal and mobility is rebounding as China's COVID-19 prevention and control has entered a new stage -- a boon for world economy. However, some Western media ignore the facts, …

Six fallacies and truths about China's epidemic control
2 years ago

Six fallacies and truths about China's epidemic control

China Daily  

This aerial photo taken on Jan 1, 2023 shows a night view of the commercial area around Tianhe Road in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province. BEIJING -- Life is returning to normal and mobility is rebounding as China's COVID-19 prevention and control has entered a new stage -- a boon for world economy. However, some Western media ignore the facts, …

Six fallacies and truths about China's epidemic control
2 years ago

Six fallacies and truths about China's epidemic control

China Daily  

This aerial photo taken on Jan 1, 2023 shows a night view of the commercial area around Tianhe Road in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province. BEIJING -- Life is returning to normal and mobility is rebounding as China's COVID-19 prevention and control has entered a new stage -- a boon for world economy. However, some Western media ignore the facts, …

China suspends social media accounts of COVID-19 policy critics
2 years ago

China suspends social media accounts of COVID-19 policy critics

The Hindu  

China has suspended or closed the social media accounts of more than 1,000 critics of the government’s policies on the COVID-19 outbreak, as the country moves to further open up. The popular Sina Weibo social media platform said it had addressed 12,854 violations including attacks on experts, scholars and medical workers and issued temporary or permanent bans on 1,120 accounts. …

70% of Chinese megacity infected with Covid, doctor says
2 years ago

70% of Chinese megacity infected with Covid, doctor says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. WHO officials have met counterparts from China’s National Health …

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase
2 years ago

China’s Xi says country’s COVID prevention enters new phase

Al Jazeera  

The president says Beijing overcame unprecedented challenges in the battle against COVID amid a new significant wave of cases in the country. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for more effort and unity as the country enters a “new phase” in its approach to combating the pandemic. “At present, the epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase,” he …

‘Masking actual number of deaths’: Social media posts claim China fudging data on fatalities
2 years ago

‘Masking actual number of deaths’: Social media posts claim China fudging data on fatalities

Firstpost  

There is a flood of social media posts on China’s Twitter-style Weibo platform talking about longer-than-normal queues at crematoriums and funeral homes, that are buckling under a growing number of bodies, ostensibly all Covid-19 deaths Beijing: Grappling with an unprecedented increase in deaths due to Covid-19 across provinces, the Chinese authorities are not putting out actual figures of the number …

Virus death toll in China's capital shows further rise
2 years ago

Virus death toll in China's capital shows further rise

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The death toll in the …

Great Wall of Porn: How China is using sex bots to quell the COVID protests on social media
2 years, 1 month ago

Great Wall of Porn: How China is using sex bots to quell the COVID protests on social media

Firstpost  

A search for the names of the Chinese cities where mass, unprecedented protests are taking place over the strict zero-COVID policy saw users being flooded with lewd posts. In his long thread of messages, he added, “Sadly if a Chinese person decides to come to Twitter to find out what happened in China last night, these nsfw posts shared by …

China’s COVID protesters, censors play cat-and-mouse game online
2 years, 1 month ago

China’s COVID protesters, censors play cat-and-mouse game online

Al Jazeera  

Taipei, Taiwan – Chinese internet users and government censors are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game to control the narrative around the country’s anti-“zero COVID” protests. “Beijing appears to be using the same tactics of censoring Chinese social media based on keywords – however, the amount of information that is getting out past the Great Firewall is definitely noteworthy,” Stevie Zhang, …

Journalist dragged, kicked, cuffed for covering protest in China, released later: Report
2 years, 1 month ago

Journalist dragged, kicked, cuffed for covering protest in China, released later: Report

India Today  

As China witnessed widespread protest against stringent Covid control measures, British news broadcaster BBC on Sunday claimed that China's police assaulted and detained one of its journalists covering the protest in Shanghai. @BBCNews @BBCNewsAsia pic.twitter.com/tPgoPET3hg — Shanghaishanghai November 27, 2022 "The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering …

China records new daily high of Covid cases and night of rare protests
2 years, 1 month ago

China records new daily high of Covid cases and night of rare protests

Hindustan Times  

Beijing: China on Saturday reported a third consecutive daily record for new Covid-19 cases amid numerous social media reports of citizen protests against restrictions including a large scale demonstration in the northwestern city of Urumqi and sporadic ones in Beijing, indicating a seething resentment among people over lockdowns and unexplained curbs upending lives and shrinking incomes. China on Saturday reported …

How Chinese citizens are fooling censors to criticise strict Covid curbs
2 years, 1 month ago

How Chinese citizens are fooling censors to criticise strict Covid curbs

India Today  

Chinese citizens, reeling under harsh Covid lockdown measures, have found a way to vent their anger online without posts critical of the government being taken down within hours. Posts on Chinese social media website Weibo using Cantonese slang, instead of Mandarin to criticise the government's zero-Covid policy, seem to have evaded censorship, at least for now. China restricts criticism and …

In Xi's China, even internal reports fall prey to censorship
2 years, 2 months ago

In Xi's China, even internal reports fall prey to censorship

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But this internal system is struggling to give frank assessments …

In Xi's China, even internal reports fall prey to censorship
2 years, 2 months ago

In Xi's China, even internal reports fall prey to censorship

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Communist Party calls internal reporting …

Explained: How China deleted reports of teen's death in quarantine from internet – Firstpost
2 years, 2 months ago

Explained: How China deleted reports of teen's death in quarantine from internet – Firstpost

Firstpost  

After the death of a 14-year-old girl in quarantine caused an outage, censors in China swung into action. Reports on the incident were scrubbed from the internet with citizens once again question the country’s zero-COVID policy Chinese censors on Friday scrubbed reports that a teenager had died in a quarantine facility, after the case sparked anger and prompted citizens to …

Anger in China over death of 27 people in Covid quarantine facility bus crash
2 years, 3 months ago

Anger in China over death of 27 people in Covid quarantine facility bus crash

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Livid citizens in China took …

Monkeypox outbreak: Bizarre theory accusing US of creating virus in lab goes viral on Chinese social media
2 years, 7 months ago

Monkeypox outbreak: Bizarre theory accusing US of creating virus in lab goes viral on Chinese social media

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A baseless conspiracy theory …

Uncovering the horror of Shanghai’s COVID-lockdown
2 years, 7 months ago

Uncovering the horror of Shanghai’s COVID-lockdown

Firstpost  

Videos on social media have revealed the often inhuman and cruel methods — forcibly placing people in quarantine camps, killing pets — authorities in China’s financial capital have resorted to in order to achieve its ‘zero-COVID’ aim Shanghai was once known for its glamour, with skyscrapers, bustling crowds, fancy restaurants and a thriving middle class. However, China’s financial capital has …

China's COVID-19 crisis and dilemma facing its leaders, by experts who have monitored it since the Wuhan outbreak
2 years, 7 months ago

China's COVID-19 crisis and dilemma facing its leaders, by experts who have monitored it since the Wuhan outbreak

Firstpost  

One of China’s largest cities, Shanghai, has been paralysed for the past month, with many of its residents hemmed in by hastily erected metal fences. But resolving China’s COVID dilemma and finding a route out of the pandemic is complicated by the difficulties of challenging a “zero-COVID” strategy so closely associated with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping. Combining on-the-ground reports …

WHO chief censored on China’s internet after calling zero-Covid unsustainable
2 years, 7 months ago

WHO chief censored on China’s internet after calling zero-Covid unsustainable

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. The censorship on Weibo and WeChat, China’s two largest social media platforms, targets WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ comments that expressed rare disagreement with Beijing’s policies. The …

‘Like Wuhan all over again’: As Shanghai protests, China censors
2 years, 8 months ago

‘Like Wuhan all over again’: As Shanghai protests, China censors

Al Jazeera  

The COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai has fuelled an outpouring of anger on social media on a scale not seen since 2020 after the virus first began to spread. “The censoring is counterproductive if one thinks the goal is to prevent disgruntlement about the lockdown from spreading, but it is productive if it prevents upset individuals from coordinating action outside of …

US warns of 'arbitrary' COVID-19 measures in China as Shanghai fights a surge of infections
2 years, 9 months ago

US warns of 'arbitrary' COVID-19 measures in China as Shanghai fights a surge of infections

Firstpost  

Shanghai’s roughly 25 million inhabitants were locked down in phases last week, prompting complaints of food shortages and viral videos of disgruntled residents scuffling with officials Beijing**, China:** The United States on Saturday warned of “arbitrary” COVID-19 measures in China and said it would let some staff leave its Shanghai consulate amid a surge of infections in the locked-down megacity. …

China media freedom declining at ‘breakneck speed’: Report
2 years, 11 months ago

China media freedom declining at ‘breakneck speed’: Report

Al Jazeera  

As China prepares for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, foreign journalists working in the country warn media freedom is declining at “breakneck speed”. China has long been known for the challenging reporting conditions for foreign media, but journalists based there say they face an increasingly hostile public and new forms of intimidation including “online trolling, physical assaults, cyber …

China media say foreign parcels suspected in new infections
2 years, 11 months ago

China media say foreign parcels suspected in new infections

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Chinese state media report parcels …

China to outlaw all news outlets not funded by Communist Party
3 years, 2 months ago

China to outlaw all news outlets not funded by Communist Party

The Telegraph  

China could ban all news media not funded directly by the Communist Party under new rules that will likely further limit freedom of speech. Officials have not confirmed whether the new rules will apply to foreign news organisations operating in China, effectively making them illegal. 'Very broad ban on everything relating to the news media' "The 2021 list is a …

Facebook misinformation posts get six times more engagement than genuine news, finds study
3 years, 4 months ago

Facebook misinformation posts get six times more engagement than genuine news, finds study

India Today  

Facebook users liked, shared, and interacted six times more with misinformation posts on the platform as compared to genuine news sources, a new study has found. "The study helps add to the growing body of evidence that, despite a variety of mitigation efforts, misinformation has found a comfortable home - and an engaged audience - on Facebook," the report quoted …

Biden: Social media platforms ‘killing people’ with misinformation
3 years, 5 months ago

Biden: Social media platforms ‘killing people’ with misinformation

India TV News  

President Joe Biden said Friday that social media companies are “killing people” by failing to police misinformation on their platforms about COVID-19 vaccines. Biden, when asked if he had a message for platforms like Facebook where false or misleading information about the coronavirus vaccines has spread, told reporters, “They’re killing people.” “The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated,” …

Biden: Social media ‘killing people’ with COVID misinformation
3 years, 5 months ago

Biden: Social media ‘killing people’ with COVID misinformation

Al Jazeera  

Misinformation about the virus and vaccines has spread on platforms including Facebook and Twitter. President Joe Biden has said that social media companies are “killing people” by failing to police misinformation on their platforms about COVID-19 vaccines. “Misinformation poses an imminent and insidious threat to our nation’s health,” Murthy said during remarks on Thursday at the White House. Lives are …

US steps up fight against COVID-19 misinformation
3 years, 5 months ago

US steps up fight against COVID-19 misinformation

Al Jazeera  

The effort comes as the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations has slowed throughout the US, due in part to false claims. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Thursday called for a national effort to fight misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines, urging tech companies, health care workers, journalists and everyday Americans to do more to address a problem “that cost us lives”. …

China is world’s ‘biggest jailer of journalists’, says RSF
3 years, 8 months ago

China is world’s ‘biggest jailer of journalists’, says RSF

Al Jazeera  

Reporters Without Borders says repression and attacks on press freedom increased worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The index examines the press freedom situation in 180 countries and territories, and RSF said its data showed that journalism is “totally blocked or seriously impeded” in nearly three-quarters of the countries evaluated, making it even harder for people to access proper information at …

Opinion: The consequences will be deadly if we don’t fight vaccine misinformation
3 years, 8 months ago

Opinion: The consequences will be deadly if we don’t fight vaccine misinformation

CNN  

Editor’s Note: K. “Vish” Viswanath, PhD, is director of the Harvard T.H. But a large number of people had already refused the vaccines outright or adopted a wait-and-see approach early on in the pandemic due to misinformation or disinformation they saw on social media platforms. That’s why social media companies must do more to combat vaccine misinformation and disinformation. Social …

US intelligence community warns of devastating long-term impact of coronavirus pandemic
3 years, 8 months ago

US intelligence community warns of devastating long-term impact of coronavirus pandemic

CNN  

Washington CNN — The fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic is poised to fracture societies worldwide, increase instability across the globe and reshape political and economic realities for years to come, the US intelligence community warned in a stark report laying out the top security concerns facing the country. And a resurgence in infections early this year “may have an even …

Study finds Trump’s ‘Chinese virus’ tweets closely linked to anti-Asian hate online
3 years, 9 months ago

Study finds Trump’s ‘Chinese virus’ tweets closely linked to anti-Asian hate online

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Asians witnessed a sharp rise in online hate and racist …

China fires back at US allegations of lack of transparency
3 years, 10 months ago

China fires back at US allegations of lack of transparency

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China fired back at the U.S. on Sunday over allegations from the White House that Beijing withheld some information about the coronavirus outbreak from World Health Organization investigators. In a statement on Saturday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington had “deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were …

China bans BBC from broadcasting for violating reporting guidelines
3 years, 10 months ago

China bans BBC from broadcasting for violating reporting guidelines

India Today  

In an apparent tit for tat move, China has banned BBC World News from broadcasting in the country for seriously violating its guidelines for reporting, China's television and radio regulator has announced. NRTA said BBC World News was found to have seriously violated regulations on radio and television management and on overseas satellite television channel management in its China-related reports, …

Facebook to temporarily reduce political content
3 years, 10 months ago

Facebook to temporarily reduce political content

The Hindu  

Facebook Inc said on Wednesday it would temporarily reduce political content appearing on News Feeds for some users in Canada, Brazil and Indonesia this week and in the United States within the coming weeks. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in January that he wanted to "turn down the temperature" of political conversations on the social networking site because "people …

China bans BBC World News for content ‘violation’
3 years, 10 months ago

China bans BBC World News for content ‘violation’

Al Jazeera  

The move follows BBC report detailing accounts of alleged torture and sexual violence against Uighur women. British television channel BBC World News has been barred from airing in China, the National Radio and Television Administration said on Friday, a week after the United Kingdom’s media regulator revoked Chinese state-owned broadcaster China Global Television Network’s. In a statement issued on the …

Discover Related