In China, several political bodies are in charge of Internet content control. At the highest level, there is the Central Propaganda Department, which ensures that media and cultural content follows the official line as mandated by the CCP. Then there is the State Council Information Office (SCIO), which has established “Internet Affairs Bureau” to oversee all Websites that publish news, including the official sites of news organizations as well as independent sites that post news content.

Recently, the ninth session of the 2009 SCIO Internet News Work Training Session just finished in Beijing. All participants are top editors and managers of major news websites in China. The trainers include:

* Li Wufeng, Bureau Chief of the State Council Information Office Internet Affairs Bureau
* Peng Bo, Deputy Chief of the State Council Information Office Internet Affairs Bureau
* Professor Zhu Feng, Peking University School of International Relations
* Song Fufan, Director of the Ideology and Political Education Teaching and Research Section of the Marxist Theory Research Department at the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China
* Zhai Huisheng, Party Secretary of the All China Federation of Working Journalists
* Professor Gao Gang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Renmin University School of Journalism and Communication
* Xia Chenghua, Deputy Chief of the Central Government Stability Preservation Leading Group Office
* Zhou Xisheng, Deputy Chief of Xinhua News Agency, Director-General of Xinhua News Agency

Soon after the training finished, one of the participants released her notes from this session online. CDT has translated the entire collection of notes from this 2009 SCIO Internet News Work training session; in total there are eight articles, which we will publish consecutively in coming days. CDT would like to thank the translator, who wishes to remain anonymous. Read the previous installments of notes. What follows is the eighth and final installment:

Zhou Xisheng, Deputy Chief of Xinhua News Agency, Director-General of Xinhua News Net

A. China’s special situation: since the founding of the country, the nation has strictly regulated the news media.
i. On important news: Xinhua breaks the news; the People’s Daily publishes editorials and provides in-depth reporting.
B. Our country’s Internet situation is unique. Compared to all kinds of restrictions in foreign countries, China has the most open Internet in the world.
C. The main responsibilities of the online news media are:
i. Promote a healthy atmosphere, encourage people to actively move forward
ii. Establish the country’s good image
iii. Convey social and cultural knowledge
iv. Protect intellectual property
D. Introduction to Xinhua News Agency’s numerous special privileges

《网络媒体的社会责任》
　　新华网副社长、新华网总裁周锡生
　　一、中国的特殊情况：建国以来，国家对媒体的管理是很严格的。
　　重要新闻：发消息归新华社，发评论和深度报道归人民日报。
　　二、我国互联网形态有特殊性。相对于国外的各种限制，中国的互联网是全世界最开放的。
　　三、网络媒体主要承担的责任：
　　1、扬正气，鼓励人们积极向上。
　　2、树立国家的良好形象。
　　3、传递社会文化知识。
　　4、保护知识产权。
　　四、对新华网的众多特殊权利的介绍。