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 previous notes here. This is the fifth installment:
Zhai Huisheng, Party Secretary of the All China Federation of Working Journalists
A. The importance of online news media:
B. How online news media can become part of the mainstream media
The mainstream media has three characteristics: it has [the attention of] the masses, it effectively broadcasts information, and it has mainstream values. Online news media cannot become part of the mainstream media because it lack mainstream values. A Marxist approach to the news is theory underlying the success of the mainstream media.
C. The current points of focus of Internet news: government credibility, patriotic enthusiasm, protection of social property, and debates over morality.
D. Internet news media must also persist in upholding Party principles:
i. Persist in correctly guiding public opinion, improve [their] ability to guide public opinion.
ii. Serve the people, serve socialism.
iii. Persist in truthfully reporting the news.
iv. Persist in managing website as politicians.
v. Stay close to real life, stay close to reality, stay close to the masses.《马克思主义新闻观与主流媒体价值》
中华全国新闻工作者协会党组书记翟惠生
一、网络媒体的重要性：
一种媒体的使用人数超过五分之一，就可以称之为大众媒体。胡锦涛与网民交流标志着中央对网媒重视的开始。新闻网站的责任编辑责任大于人民日报的编辑。
二、网络媒体如何成为主流媒体：
主流媒体拥有三个要素：拥有大众、有效传播和主流价值。网络媒体不能成为主流媒体就是因为没有主流价值。马克思主义新闻观是主流媒体的成功理论。
三、现今网络新闻的新闻关注点：政府的诚信、爱国的热情、社会财产的保护和道德的争论。
四、网络新闻媒体也要坚持党性原则：
1、坚持正确舆论导向，提高舆论引导能力。
2、为人民服务，为社会主义服务。
3、坚持新闻真实。
4、坚持政治家办网站。
5、贴近生活，贴近实际，贴近群众。
[To be continued]
