The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.
Central Propaganda Department: In reporting on the case of former Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun (including the charges against him, the trial, the verdict, etc.), strictly follow Xinhua wire copy. No media outlet or website is to independently produce other reports or commentary. (April 10, 2013)
中宣部：对前铁道部部长刘志军案有关问题（包括提起公诉、开庭审理、宣判等）的报道严格按新华社通稿刊播，各媒体及网站不自行做其他报道和评论。
Liu, who was removed from his post in early 2011, has been formally charged with graft. He could face the death penalty. The Ministry of Railways will be dismantled as part of broad government restructuring announced at the National People’s Congress.
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.
