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Media coverage of academic plagiarism highlights internal tug-of-war over fair game and taboo in news reporting

David Bandurski

CMP Director

Latest Articles

Pen Names for Power Struggles

Jun 23, 2022 | David Bandurski

A historical look at the internal system of not-so-secret codes by which those in positions of power in China can make their views known through the official media system.

Dynamic Zero and Greater Benevolence

Jun 17, 2022 | David Bandurski

Efforts to justify harsh Covid lockdown policies that have created a great deal of short-term pain for average Chinese have taken Xi’s defenders back to the ideas of the general secretary’s favorite forebear, Mao Zedong.

White Smoke, Black Smoke

Jun 16, 2022 | David Bandurski

As the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party approaches, the race is on behind closed doors to secure Xi Jinping’s power with near religious devotion. In recent days there have been faint twists of development in the pages of official Party media.

A Steep Drop for China’s Journalists

Jun 14, 2022 | David Bandurski

State media coverage of a report released last month by the All-China Journalism Association emphasized the development of media convergence. But the report tells another important story — about a rapid fall in the number of licensed journalists in China.

Xinhua’s Innovative Party Man

Jun 8, 2022 | David Bandurski

The newly appointed president of China’s top official newswire is about loyalty to the CCP through and through. But some say he also wants to innovate, breaking new ground and doing the “propaganda that cannot be seen.”

Shades of Hostility

Jun 8, 2022 | David Bandurski

Last month, a set of questionable illustrations included in primary school mathematics textbooks in China sparked a fierce debate online over curriculum standards — and wild conspiracies about foreign infiltration. How could this happen in a country where internal standards of political discipline within media and publishing are among the stric…

Generational Changes for Disaster Reporting

Jun 6, 2022 | Stella Chen

In amongst the commemorative articles that came with the 14th anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake last month, there were a handful looking back on what the disaster meant for China’s journalists. Owing to a combination of factors, the vast majority of those who reported on the quake in 2008 have moved on from journalism entirely — and repo…

A License for Control

Jun 2, 2022 | CMP Staff

China’s government insists that its press licensing system ensures the professionalism of news coverage and safeguards reporting access for journalists. But press cards are ultimately designed with one key purpose in mind – ensuring news media stay in line.

New Licensing System for Online Dramas

Jun 1, 2022 | CMP Staff

From today forward, online dramas in China will be issued formal distribution licenses similar to coveted “Dragon Label” appearing in front of box office films. The move, Chinese experts say, will ensure quality . . . and control.

Paper Trails in the Digital Age

May 31, 2022 | David Bandurski

If the closure in the past five years of once prosperous publications like the Beijing Times and Shanghai’s Oriental Morning Post signaled the steady decline of commercial print newspapers and magazines in China, the recent shuttering of China Computerworld can be seen as the full stop on a bygone era.

Curious Signals

May 26, 2022 | David Bandurski

Apparent inconsistencies in messaging within China’s leadership raise questions about possible differences over the exact nature of the challenges facing the country — and how to tackle them.

Political Plot Twists

May 25, 2022 | Stella Chen

Late last year, Chinese authorities cracked down on a popular role-playing genre called “script murder,” arguing that violent and supernatural themes were harmful to youth. But the genre may be finding new life — as pro-Party propaganda.

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