Fall of Rui Chenggang, celebrity news anchor, reveals the fault in our stars
The removal of Rui Chenggang over graft allegations highlights the tangled relations between state-run media and state power
Almost every weekend of late, the Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog has announced the new captures of more "tigers" - or senior corrupt officials.
But the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's most significant capture last week was not a big cat, but rather a "fly" - a lower-ranking corrupt official - Rui Chenggang.
Rui, a leading anchor with state broadcaster CCTV was taken away for investigation on suspicion of corruption.
When President Xi Jinping launched his anti-graft campaign, he pledged to take down not just the tigers, but also the flies. The campaign and its accompanying austerity drive has been hot on the heels of not only party officials, but also members of state-owned enterprises and other institutions where opportunities reside for ill-gotten gains.
CCTV has come in for its share of scrutiny of late. Rui is a low-ranking cadre in the broadcaster's hierarchy. But as the mainland's most influential media outlet, it has been seen as leading the high-profile charge to expose graft: just recently, it touted the capture of 35 "tigers" in the 20 months since Xi took power in November 2012.
The news network is also viewed as an extremely useful propaganda tool abroad. For years, Rui, 37, who joined CCTV in 2003, has been seen as a symbol of China's rising "soft power". He gained fame for his nationalistic stance, leading a campaign opposing the opening of a Starbucks outlet inside the Forbidden City in 2007, which he described as an "erosion of Chinese culture".
He also caused a stir in 2010 when he claimed to "represent the whole of Asia" while raising a question with United States President Barack Obama at a G20 summit. He caused further controversy when he asked then American ambassador Gary Locke if he should fly economy class, given all the money the US owes China.