The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. The name of the issuing body has been omitted to protect the source.
Without exception, no media is to report on or republish the poem that Shen Hao’s wife posted online. Regarding Shen Hao and other criminal suspects, the media must not publish content reflecting them positively. Do not interfere with judicial proceedings. (September 26, 2014)
沈颢妻子在网上发的诗，各媒体一律不得转载，报道。对沈颢等犯罪嫌疑人，各媒体不刊发正面反映其形象的内容。不干扰司法程序。[Original Text]
Amid a crackdown on alleged extortion in the media industry that has hit many employees at 21st Century Media Group, an organization known for aggressive investigative journalism, 21st Century Business Herald’s chief editor Shen Hao was detained on Thursday along with the paper’s general manager Chen Dongyang. In addition to posting a poem to her husband [Chinese] online, Shen Hao’s wife Jiang Hua stood with a sign pleading for his fair treatment at the headquarters of 21st Century’s parent company.
Shen Hao’s wife Jiang Hua stands outside of the Southern Media Group building. (Yimei Media/WeChat)
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. 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.
