People's Daily Editorial Calls on News Media to Strengthen "Supervision" of Public Opinion
China's state-run news media must "take the standpoint of the Communist Party," "stabilize the emotions of cadres and the masses," emphasize "positive" and "constructive" reporting, and stop focusing on "exposes and scandals," according to a May 31 People's Daily editorial. The editors refer repeatedly to "public opinion supervision," which they claim is "an important characteristic in the progress of political civilization" that "increases governmental transparency" and "ensures administration in accordance with law."
China's state-run news media must "take the standpoint of the Communist Party," "stabilize the emotions of cadres and the masses," emphasize "positive" and "constructive" reporting, and stop focusing on "exposes and scandals," according to a May 31 People's Daily editorial. The editors refer repeatedly to "public opinion supervision," which they claim is "an important characteristic in the progress of political civilization" that "increases governmental transparency" and "ensures administration in accordance with law."
"Public opinion supervision" is another term for "media supervision," according to an article published in the Study Times, a publication of the CCP Party School. These terms mean the same thing because, while in theory "public opinion supervision" refers to the people supervising the Party through the media, in reality, it is the Party that supervises the media:
- "[I]nsist on the principle that the Party supervises the media, strengthen their ability to guide public opinion, and take the initiative in public opinion guidance work."
People's Daily: Ideological Sweep: Emphasize Correctly Leading Society's Public Opinion
- "In China, journalism constitutes one of the major parts of the Party's enterprises, the news media is the mouthpiece of the Party and the people, and must be under the leadership of the Party. In its thought, the news must take Marxism as its guide, must maintain a high degree of unanimity with the central Party with Comrade Hu Jintao as the Secretary; . . . in its organization it must insist on the Party's leadership of news work, ensure that leaders of news organizations at all levels firmly grasp in their hands loyalty to Marxism, and loyalty to the Party and the people."
- "[I]t is necessary to clarify the goal of the reforms, and that is to establish within newspaper and periodical enterprises leadership by Communist Party committees . . ."
Mass Media Magazine: A High Level Survey of Journalism Reform and Development, quoting the Deputy Director of the General Administration of Press and Publication
- "Party committees at all levels, especially the propaganda departments, should conscientiously strengthen and improve the Party's leadership over journalistic and propaganda work . . ."
Xinhua: Liu Yunshan: Deepen "Three Kinds of Study, Education" Activity, Enhance Skills To Guide Public Opinion, quoting the Director of the Central Propaganda Department