SHASH2K2
New Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2010
- Messages
- 5,711
- Likes
- 730
China tightens grip on media, Skype calling
BEIJING: Chinese authorities are ringing in the New Year discussing ways to enhance control over media and Internet communication. They have asked the public to report misdoings by television and newspapers while hinting that privately-run communication lines like Skype will be blocked.
These moves come in the wake of an announcement about dismissal of editorial staff by a popular magazine, Party, which covered sensitive political issues. The magazine, published by China's most popular blogger Han Han, also said it was not publishing its next issue.
The latest move asking the public to report on bad reporting by the media is likely to be used by Communist Party officials at provincial and municipal levels, and put tremendous pressure on newspapers and television channels that have just begun to feel the taste of some freedom, observers said.
The Ministry of Information and Industry Technology said on Friday that it was going to crackdown on "on illegal VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) telephone services". It was collecting evidence for legal cases against them, it said. It did not specifically name Skype and other VoIP service providers, but seemed to cover all of them.
The move would help stop the losses suffered by government-run telecom providers like China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom. Vast numbers of Chinese and most foreigners have switched to low cost VoIP services to make long distance calls.
But the move seemed to have a political motive because privately run VoIP services make it difficult for government agencies to carry out surveillance activities on dissidents and other people being watched.
The public has been advised to use hotlines run by the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, General Administration of Press and Publication, and All-China Journalists Association to complain against the media spreading misinformation.
"Once fabrication is verified, harsh punishments will be handed out to those reporters and officials responsible," the government said. This follows an earlier statement by the General Administration of Press and Publication, which castigated six media houses for falsely reporting news.
In one case concerning Gansu Daily, the editorial staff was punished and made to apologize for spreading false stories.
Read more: China tightens grip on media, Skype calling - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...calling/articleshow/7197122.cms#ixzz19hPuTsHZ
