The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.
Central Propaganda Department: With regards to the North Korean nuclear issue, the death of Hugo Chávez, and the Changchun incident of the stolen car and abandoned baby: without exception, the media are not to investigate or report on these stories of their own accord. Strictly follow Xinhua wire copy in your coverage. (March 6, 2013)
中宣部：关于朝核问题、查韦斯去世、长春盗车弃婴案，各媒体一律不得自行采访报道，严格按新华社通稿刊播。
Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to these 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 on CDT Chinese 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.
