Several journalists from the Guangdong-based Southern Metropolis News were detained yesterday, according to a report in today’s New York Times. Authorities claimed they were investigating financial irregularities at the paper, but journalists there believe the action is linked to the paper’s reporting on a recent SARS case in Guangdong.

The Southern Metropolis Daily has recently become a target of local officials for its aggressive reporting on social and political issues, including SARS and the story of Sun Zhigang, who was beaten to death while in police custody in March.