China’s media regulator vows ‘severe punishment’ for TV programmes ridiculing state policies

The media regulator on the Chinese mainland has vowed to strengthen the vetting of television programmes and severely punish people responsible for those found to be ridiculing state policies or hyping social media trending topics, its deputy director says.

Tian Jin, deputy director of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said in a commentary published by the People’s Daily, the party’s mouthpiece, that the country’s media workers at “mainstream” media outlets – newspapers, TV and broadcaster stations – should closely follow the party line and show “unlimited loyalty” to the party and the people.

His article, published on Sunday, comes weeks after the country’s top graft buster, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, criticised the country’s propaganda department for failing to shape public opinion and promote the party’s point of view forcefully enough.

The commentary said media workers should strictly comply with “propaganda disciplines”, which are not only a principal request for all media organisations, but also act as guarantees so that they will prosper.

“[Media organisations] should resolutely overcome a tendency to ignore disciplines and rules,” the commentary said. “[They] should not provide any ways for promoting wrongful ideas and voices.

“Programmes that are hyping trending social hot topics, ridiculing state policies, disseminating wrongful views, advocating extreme views, and sparking conflicts will be severely punished,” the commentary says.