Advertisement

Racy tabloid taken to task over 'filthy Guangzhou' story

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP

Local authorities have criticised Guangzhou's boldest daily newspaper for the second time in less than a week.

Advertisement

Several Guangzhou newspapers yesterday published thinly veiled government attacks on the Southern Metropolis News for reprinting a small article alleging that Guangzhou was one of the world's dirtiest cities.

'Some media and people with ulterior motives have listed Guangzhou as one of the world's 10 most polluted cities,' Guangzhou deputy-secretary general Ling Weixian was quoted as saying. 'This is a case of inventing a story. It has greatly undermined Guangzhou's image and reputation.'

He added that those behind 'the rumour's fabrication and distribution' might be held 'legally responsible'.

On Tuesday, the Southern Metropolis News reprinted an article from the Beijing-based Market News that quoted Wei Hong, head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Department at the Asian Development Bank's China Mission, as saying that eight Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, ranked among the world's dirtiest.

Advertisement

While the popular tabloid highlighted the item in its front-page contents list, the story itself was short and buried at the back of the paper. Last week, the Southern Metropolis News was involved in a dispute with the Shenzhen Press Distribution Bureau and two Shenzhen newspapers, which banned distribution of the rival Guangzhou paper at about 1,000 retail outlets in the SEZ.

Advertisement