China’s Communist Party has long been known for its strict control over the media, but in recent years, its methods have grown more sophisticated, particularly in the suppression of foreign coverage. As sensitive or potentially damaging stories unfold in the country, the Chinese government has been increasingly willing to deploy a variety of tactics to stifle independent reporting.
From the physical harassment of journalists to the orchestrating of public outcries designed to distract or intimidate reporters, these measures aim to protect the party’s image and restrict the flow of information both within China and abroad.
Here, we examine how the government manipulates media narratives and systematically restricts press freedom, often at the expense of foreign journalists and their right to report freely.
The Harassment of Foreign Journalists
One of the most blatant forms of media suppression comes in the form of physical intimidation and harassment of foreign journalists. In a recent example, BBC reporter Stephen McDonell was covering the mass vehicular attack that occurred in Zhuhai, southern China, which left 35 people dead. The attack, one of the deadliest acts of public violence in China in decades, was swiftly censored on Chinese social media platforms, with videos of the scene being deleted within hours of their appearance.
Meanwhile Mcdowell, who was covering the story outside the Zhuhai sports complex where the incident occurred, when a “concerned citizen” allegedly paid by the government pushed Mcdowell and asked the cameraman to stopped recording. Despite this censorship, some footage still made its way onto international platforms, showing the chaos and the ongoing emergency response at the stadium, underscoring the government’s efforts to erase any trace of incidents that could trigger public outcry or international criticism.
In his report, Mcdowell also shared the instance of the death of former Premier Li Keqiang in 2023. After Li’s passing, which marked the end of an era of more moderate leadership within the Communist Party, local authorities swiftly moved to control the narrative surrounding his death. McDonell recounted how his resident was rushed by crowds of individuals who were likely “paid loyalists” organized by local officials to stifle foreign reporting.
This practice, sometimes referred to as “rent-a-crowd” or “astroturfing,” is a well-known tactic used by the political or sometimes corporate parties to fabricate public support or outrage in response to sensitive issues, while simultaneously preventing foreign reporters from accurately covering events.
The harassment that McDonell faced is not an isolated incident. Laura Bicker, another BBC journalist, encountered similar obstruction while reporting on China’s sensitive border region between Russia and North Korea. Despite reporting from public spaces, Bicker and her team were followed, their footage deleted, and their hotel rooms visited by the police. Authorities sought to control any narrative about China’s relationships with its neighbors, especially given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the growing pressure from international sanctions on Russia.
The Suppression of Sensitive News Stories
This pattern of suppression is not limited to violent attacks. In previous years, high-profile incidents such as the 2011 Wukan protests and the 2019 Hong Kong protests have seen similar tactics deployed. In Wukan, for example, local officials were accused of manipulating the media narrative by sending in government-backed crowds to pose as protesters, a move designed to confuse the international media and obscure the reality of the situation.
Likewise, during the Hong Kong protests in 2019, Chinese state media worked tirelessly to discredit foreign journalists and flood the media with counter-narratives, often organizing rival protests aimed at undermining the global perception of the unrest.
The Arrest of Journalists and Citizen Reporters
In addition to the physical and digital suppression of media, China has also ramped up its efforts to imprison journalists and citizen reporters who attempt to expose the truth. Reporters Without Borders (RSF- Reporters Sans Frontieres) has consistently highlighted China as the world’s largest captor of journalists, with over 100 journalists currently detained.
The regime often charges these individuals with vague offenses such as “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a common accusation aimed at those who report on issues that the government deems politically sensitive.
One notable example is Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist who was sentenced to four years in prison for reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Zhang, who traveled to Wuhan in the early days of the pandemic to document life in the locked-down city, was arrested after sharing her findings on social media.
Despite facing threats and harassment from authorities, she continued her coverage until she was detained and later convicted for “picking quarrels.”
The government’s clampdown on journalism has also extended beyond traditional reporters to online commentators and activists, particularly those reporting on China’s controversial actions in Xinjiang and Tibet. In these regions, where the government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the internment of Uyghur Muslims, foreign journalists and citizen reporters face severe restrictions on their ability to investigate and report.
The Global Implications
China’s control over its media does not only extend to domestic journalists but has far-reaching consequences for global press freedom. In its annual World Press Freedom Index, RSF ranks China as one of the worst offenders in terms of press repression.
The government’s suppression of information has implications far beyond its borders, particularly in countries where Beijing is exerting increasing influence, such as in Africa, Southeast Asia, and even Europe. In addition to censoring foreign reporting within China, Beijing has also been accused of trying to export its model of media control to other countries, using economic leverage and political pressure to stifle independent journalism worldwide. This “global crackdown” on free expression is one of the most disturbing trends in contemporary international relations, with China increasingly seen as the architect of a new wave of media repression.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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