People's Daily Editorial Calls on News Media to Strengthen "Supervision" of Public Opinion

July 1, 2005

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: