The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by central government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.
Guangdong Propaganda Department: With regards to the issue of the flow of rice (contaminated with heavy metal) from Hunan to Nanyue, report in strict accordance with information from authoritative bureaus. Do not sensationalize the story, make it prominent, or lure people to it. We reiterate that the media may not investigate or comment on strikes, sit-ins, petitions, or similar activities without prior authorization. (February 27, 2013)
广东省委宣传部: 对三湘问题大米流向南粤一事及相关问题，严格按权威部门发布的信息刊播，不炒作，不上头版导读。重申对罢工、静坐、上访等行为，各媒体不得擅自采访报道评论。
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.
