The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.
Central Propaganda Department: The media are not to report on structural reform of the State Council without permission. Do not sensationalize the issue. If Xinhua has wire copy, cover the story according to that. (March 8, 2013)
中宣部:关于国务院机构改革相关内容的报道,各媒体不擅自报道、不炒作,如新华社有通稿则按通稿刊播。
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.
Central Propaganda Department: The sudden incident in Korla, Xinjiang on March 7 has not yet undergone unified planning. The media are without exception not to report or comment on the issue. The media are not to reuse other coverage. (March 8, 2013)
中宣部:对新疆库尔勒3月7日发生的突发事件,未经统一安排,各媒体一律不报道不评论,各媒体不转载。
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.