The Propaganda Department has issued an order banning reports about “public intellectuals,” a term used to describe intellectuals who are also involved in public affairs, according to the South China Morning Post, “A source said the Publicity Department, which supervises propaganda and ideological control, issued an order last week barring reports on the topic of ‘public intellectuals’… Analysts said the ban reflected growing anxiety over the topic among authorities, as well as a tighter grip over the media and public opinion under the current leadership. ‘Another concept corresponding to the notion of public intellectual is public politics, which is inevitably about dissent and even the forming of opposition forces,’ said [Wang Yi], whose name was included on a list of 50 public intellectuals that was compiled by the Southern People’s Weekly, a news magazine under the Southern Daily group. ”
The full story is here, via Asia Media.
