How seriously is Beijing treating Google’s decision to stop censoring the search results displayed to users on the mainland?
Here’s a hint: the Chinese government issued a series of directives to the country’s media regarding how they may portray Google’s gambit; reporters are encouraged to “pay strict attention” to the requirements.
FT Alphaville has reposted some of the more heavy-handed of these below. For the rest, see the Washington Post or the China Digital Times, which obtained the original memo and translated it into English.
A. News section:
4. Do not produce relevant topic pages; do not set discussion sessions; do not conduct related investigative reporting.
5. Online programs with experts and scholars on this matter must apply for permission ahead of time. This type of self-initiated program production is strictly forbidden.
6. Carefully manage the commentary posts under news items.
B. Forums, blogs and other interactive media sections:
1. It is not permitted to hold discussions or investigations on the Google topic.
2. Interactive sections do not recommend this topic, do not place this topic and related comments at the top.
4. All websites please clean up text, images and sound and videos which support Google, dedicate flowers to Google, ask Google to stay, cheer for Google and others have a different tune from government policy.
5. On topics related to Google, carefully manage the information in exchanges, comments and other interactive sessions.
6. Chief managers in different regions please assign specific manpower to monitor Google-related information; if there is information about mass incidents, please report it in a timely manner.
We ask the Monitoring and Control Group to immediately follow up monitoring and control actions along the above directions; once any problems are discovered, please communicate with respected sessions in a timely manner.
Addition[al] guidelines:
– Do not participate in and report Google’s information/press releases.
– Do not report about Google exerting pressure on our country via people or events.
– Related reports need to put [our story/perspective/information] in the center, do not provide materials for Google to attack relevant policies of our country.
– Use talking points about Google withdrawing from China published by relevant departments.
Separately, ars technica reported on Friday that China allegedly employs a 280,000-strong army of “people to troll the internet and make the government look good”. Ars cited testimony by China research Rebecca MacKinnon:
The government increasingly combines censorship and surveillance measures with pro-active efforts to steer online conversations in the direction it prefers. In 2008 the Hong Kong-based researcher David Bandurski determined that at least 280,000 people had been hired at various levels of government to work as “online commentators.” Known derisively as the “fifty cent party,” these people are paid to write postings that show their employers in a favorable light in online chat rooms, social networking services, blogs, and comments sections of news websites. Many more people do similar work as volunteers—recruited from among the ranks of retired officials as well as college students in the Communist Youth League who aspire to become Party members.
Long live Minitrue.
Related links:
Chinese companies debate links with Google – FT
Censorship fears over China spam curb – FT
Beijing struggles over Google censorship – FT
Google’s tough call on China – FT