The following examples of censorship instructions, issued to the media and/or Internet companies by various central (and sometimes local) government authorities, have 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.
June 29
Shanghai: netizen Xia Shang
From the Propaganda Department of the Shanghai Municiple Party Committee: a certain netizen, Xia Shang, has claimed online that he will take part in the National People’s Congress election. No news unit will interview this person, report or propagate [the story]. Journalists will have no contact with this person.
上海市委宣传部: 某网民夏商在网络上宣称要参加人大选举，各新闻单位对此人不采访、不报道、不宣传，记者与此人不接触。
June 20
State Information Office: Professor Zhao Shilin’s public letter
From the State Information Office: websites in all regions will immediately find and delete Central Ethnicity University Professor Zhao Shilin’s blog entry: “An open letter to the Chinese Communist Party and central government regarding the Chinese Communist Party’s 90th Anniversary propaganda problem.”
国新办：请各地网站立即检查删除中央民族大学赵士林教授博客文章：“就中国共产党建党九十周年的宣传问题致中共中央的公开信“。
June 19
State Information Office: “Cherishing Chiang Kai-shek”
From the State Information Office: All websites, especially interactive links, will immediately delete the article “Cherishing Chiang Kai-shek” and all related commentary.
国新办：所有网站，特别是互动环节请立即删除《怀念蒋介石》一文以及所有有关评论。
June 16
Central Propaganda Department: “Beginning of the Great Revival”
From the Central Propaganda Department: during the special period of welcoming the Party’s 90 anniversary, no media outlets will report or render negative opinion or news regarding the movie “Beginning of the Great Revival.”
中宣部：迎接党庆90周年特护期间，各媒体不要报道和渲染对《建党伟业》影片的负面评论和消息。
June 14
Central Propaganda Department: “Lecture on Party History Knowledge”
From the Central Propaganda Department: will all news websites attach Central Party School Professor Xie Chuntao’s “Lecture on Party History Knowledge” lecture No. 7: “Establishing Goals for the Socialist Market Economy System,” to the news section on homepages. Keep it there until the release of lecture No. 8.
中宣部：请各地新闻网站在双首页要闻区链接中央党校谢春涛教授的《党史知识大讲堂》第七讲：社会主义市场经济体制目标的确立，保留至第八讲播出。
June 13
Jilin province: matters concerning Jinhu Tires Changchun factory strike
From the Propaganda Department of Jilin Provicial Party Committee: on matters concerning Jinhu Tires Changchun factory strike, local media cannot report as they like before getting approval. News on the resumption of work will be uniformly reported.
吉林省委宣传部：锦湖轮胎长春工厂罢工一事，本地媒体未经审批不可擅自报道。复工消息统一报道。
June 12
Central Propaganda Department: the collective complaint against Yili Company
From the Central Propaganda Department: temporarily stop reporting on the online collective complaint against Yili Company. Immediately remove articles already reported.
中宣部：网上关于伊利公司万言举报信一事暂不报道。已经报道的稿件立即撤下。
June 11
State Information Office: matters concerning outrage over the Zengcheng, Guangdong province pregnant woman who was beaten
State Information Office: all websites will thoroughly clear all news concerning the outrage over the pregnant woman who was beaten in Zengcheng, Guangdong. Close all blog accounts that are conducting on-the-scene broadcasts. Thoroughly clear online forums.
国新办：各网站彻底清理网上关于广东增城孕妇被殴引发事件的所有信息，关闭所有正在进行现场直播的微博帐号，彻底清理论坛。
June 10
Zhengzhou, Henan province: ceasing all negative media reporting in the province
A notice from the Propaganda Department of Zhengzhou Municipal Party Committee, Henan province:
1. Highlights for next week, June 13 – 17, a joint research group of national ministries will come to Henan to conduct research. Of the eight groups conducting research, three will come to Zhengzhou. They will primarily focus on surveying the Central Plain’s economic development during the last period, and will be controlled by Secretary Lu. No media are permitted to report on the two welcoming banquets or the proposal for a meeting between representatives of the National People’s Congress and the Development and Reform Commission. In order to produce a pleasant atmosphere, the provincial propaganda department has explicitly ordered that while the research group is in Henan, all negative reporting will cease in the province. In regard to the research group’s activities in the region, publish only this news.
2. The 2011 National Safe Production Tour will be held in Henan June 15 – 24. When this research group is in Henan, no media will report on the hidden ailments of the mining industry or other such problems.
3. During the 60th anniversary of Tibet’s peaceful liberation, all media will report according to the central government’s mainstream reports. Carry out reproduction of the news as a group.
When reporting, pay attention to the following:
1. The provincial health department’s press release is the standard for all provincial news on epidemics.
2. Media will do absolutely no interviewing and no reporting on land disputes near the education office at the Zijin Mountain overpass.
3. In regards to Henan’s Chengtai Investment Co Ltd. illegal fundraising, even the Secretary has instructed that city-level media can carry out positive propaganda on small- and medium-sized investment companies. The contact person at the Bureau of Small- and Medium-sized Corporations is Chief Huang: 13643826623.
4. “Leaving Zhenzhou to See the Nation” will be published soon. Will all media choose photos and send them to zzxwcbc@163.
5. All media will continue to conduct the secret investigation on the food safety problem, producing two reports per week in the form of reference documents for leaders. Send them to the news office’s mailbox.
6. All city-level media will not report on matters concerning the Deng Feng Hao Management Committee.
7. All media will not follow up on matters concerning the explosion at the police bureau’s dangerous products storage facility.
河南省郑州市委宣传部通知：
1， 下周重头戏，6月13日至17日，国家部位联合调研组来河南调研，分8个组进行调研，其中3个组将来郑州。主要对中原经济区建设进行前期考察，由卢书记主抓。其中，全国人大与发改委召集人大代表的提案以及两个欢迎晚宴各媒体不许报道。为营造良好气氛，省宣明令：调研组在豫期间，省内各媒体停止负面报道，对调研组在当地活动只刊发消息。
2，2011年全国安全生产万里行活动，6月15日至24日在河南举行。调研组在豫活动期间，各媒体对煤矿企业安全隐患等问题不报道。
3，西藏和平解放60周年，各媒体根据中央主流媒体的报道，结合本地实际进行转载。
报道注意：
1，全省各类疫情消息以省卫生厅发布消息为准。
2，关于教育厅在紫金山立交桥附近的土地问题，各媒体一律不采访不报道。
3，关于河南诚泰投资担保有限公司的非法集资一事，连书记批示，市级媒体可对各类中小型投资担保公司进行正面积极宣传。联系人：中小企业局黄处长：13643826623
4，走出郑州看全国即将出书，请各家媒体选好照片，发至 zzxwcbc@163.com
5，各媒体继续做好食品安全问题的暗访调查，每周出两篇稿子，以内参形式报至新闻处邮箱。
6，关于登峰蒿管委“公务员内招”一事，市属媒体不要报道。
7，市公安局治安支队危险品仓库自燃爆炸一事，各媒体不再跟进。
June 9
Central Propaganda Department: Xu Wu release
From the Central Propaganda Department: Media will not speculate about matters regarding the release [from a mental hospital] of the worker Xu Wu from Wugang, Hubei. Xinhua News Agency and The Hubei Daily will be the standard for all reports.
中宣部：关于湖北武钢职工徐武出院一事，媒体不许炒作，一切以新华社和湖北日报为准。
June 9
Central Propaganda Department: independent candidates taking part in election
From the Central Propaganda Department: so called “independent candidates taking part in elections” is a political matter manipulated by the international anti-China force. No media are allowed to report on the election activities of Li Chengpeng and others.
中宣部：所谓“独立候选人参选”是国际反华势力操纵的政治事件，所有媒体不得再报道相关的消息。
北京市委宣传部，成都市委宣传部：本地媒体不可报导李承鹏等人的参选活动。
June 6
Central Propaganda Department: Li Na’s win
From the Central Propaganda Department: do not continue hype Li Na’s [tennis championship] win.
中宣部：对李娜夺冠一事不得继续炒作。
