Code of ethics to target porn, violence
Mainland authorities are moving to enforce a code of ethics for thousands of webmasters to target pornography and 'online violence' and consolidate their control over the flow of information over the internet.
Speaking at a national forum on internet-based media in Chongqing yesterday, Wang Chen , director of the State Council's Information Office, called on the internet community to exercise more oversight and discipline to weed out unhealthy information as well as misleading and false advertising.
'The more the internet-based media gains prominence in China, the higher the public expectations are in terms of how authoritative, credible and trustworthy it is,' Mr Wang said. 'The fate of the internet has much to do with its credibility and trustworthiness, and they are the premises on which the internet can grow further.'
The shift towards the imposition of discipline on internet-based media outlets comes as the medium is increasingly seen as a threat to the government's grip on power and a gateway to freedom of information, particularly with blogs.
Many analysts believe the internet has far greater implications on the mainland than in other places because the authorities have more control over what people can read and view in the traditional media.
