Detained reporter confesses on TV to publishing false accusations against company

Chen Yongzhou, the Guangzhou-based New Express reporter who was detained by police last Friday, has made a public confession in a CCTV programme aired on Saturday morning, admitting to accepting bribes and publishing articles containing false accusations against a heavy machinery maker.

The unexpected  twist of event surprised China’s journalists, who in the past week have rallied  for the release of Chen after he was taken away by policemen from Changsha, Hunan, and accused of "fabricating facts" and "damaging the commercial reputation" of Changsha-based Zoomlion, China's second largest maker of construction equipment.

Chen had published more than 10 articles since last September, discussing problematic marketing and accounting practises allegedly used by Zoomlion, he told CCTV. Almost all of the stories were pre-written and fed to him by a third party on the condition that they be published under his byline. Chen was paid thousands of yuan each time he delivered the "task", according to CCTV.

Video: Detained Chinese journalist makes a confession on China state TV, admits taking bribe

The identity of the third party was not disclosed.

Chen admitted that he never conducted reporting or investigation of his own regarding the accusations made in these articles. At one time, he didn’t even “take a single look” at the story that was to be published under his name, he said on the programme.