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: In reporting on the case in Guangshan County, Henan in which 22 students were slashed and related issues, strictly adhere to Xinhua wire copy, do not put the news on the front page or lure readers to it, and do not voluntarily produce other reports or commentary. (December 16, 2012)

中宣部：对河南光山县22名学生被砍伤案件及相关问题的报道，严格按新华社通稿刊播，不上头版和导读，不自行作其他报道评论。