China suspends 2 online media outlets as censors tighten grip

Health Insight exposed Covid-related scandals, while Media Camp recently covered the case of a reporter beaten by police

Both have had their social media accounts blocked this week, with no explanation given

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Health Insight covered the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan in early 2020 and has been critical of the healthcare system. It is one of two online media outlets blocked in China this week. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:31pm, 5 Jul 2023Updated: 7:54pm, 5 Jul 2023

China’s censors have blocked two online media outlets this week – one that exposed Covid-related scandals during the pandemic, the other focused on trends in the news industry.

The social media accounts of Health Insight and Media Camp were suspended as of Monday evening, with no explanation given.

It comes after the internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, began a campaign in March to “strictly regulate the chaos of self-publishing media”.

Health Insight was set up in 2018 and posted content on WeChat, Weibo and Zhihu. All three accounts have been suspended.

“This account has been blocked, content cannot be viewed,” a notice on the outlet’s WeChat page read.

Health Insight is one of the few media outlets in China focused on healthcare reporting. It covered the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province in early 2020 and reported on the death of Dr Li Wenliang, who had tried to raise the alarm about the new coronavirus.

Its reporters also looked into issues that were mostly ignored by mainstream media during the three years of China’s harsh zero-Covid rules. It pointed out the lack of medical evidence to support the use of Linhua Qingwen, a traditional Chinese medicine that Beijing claimed could treat Covid-19. At the height of a months-long lockdown in Shanghai last year, the outlet looked at its impact on mental health – an issue authorities were reluctant to address.

After the pandemic controls were abruptly scrapped in December, Health Insight reported on the huge sums spent by local governments on Covid prevention and excessive amounts of medical equipment.

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