The following example of censorship instructions, issued to the media and/or Internet companies by various central (and sometimes local) government authorities, has been leaked and distributed online. Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to those instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.
Central Propaganda Department: As the Politburo undertakes its first collective study session of the implementation of the spirit of the 18th Party Congress, all media will use Xinhua wire copy and report the meeting prominently. Headlines must not be changed. (November 18, 2012)
中宣部：中央政治局就深入学习贯彻党的十八大精神进行第一次集体学习，各媒体用新华社通稿，作突出报道，标题不得改动。
