Chinese media, typically perceived as conduits for Beijing’s narrative, found themselves thrust into an unfamiliar role as authorities intervened physically while several state media reporters were covering a deadly blast in Hebei province, Voice of America reported.
The actions of local authorities prompted a swift response from the All-China Journalists Association, which issued a statement defending journalists’ professional role in Chinese society.
According to state media reports, the death toll from the blast that levelled a four-story building climbed to seven, with scores more injured.
Local authorities informed Chinese media that the explosion resulted from underground gas pipe leaks, contradicting earlier reports attributing it to businesses housed in the building, as reported by Voice of America.
Reporters from various media outlets, including China Central Television (CCTV), People’s Daily, and Xinhua, hurried to the scene shortly after the explosion. However, during CCTV Channel 2’s midday broadcast on Wednesday, viewers witnessed men dressed in black approach a reporter on the scene, blocking the camera and cutting off the reporter mid-sentence. The abrupt interruption prompted the anchors in Beijing to express concern for the reporter’s safety before transitioning to other news.
In another incident captured on video and shared online by one of the reporters, a team from another CCTV department, identifiable by their media vests, was accosted by approximately a dozen security officers and escorted away from the scene.
These incidents prompted the All-China Journalists Association to issue a statement via WeChat on Wednesday evening. The statement recounted the events and addressed three key questions.
“Should journalists be reporting from the scene?” the association asked, answering affirmatively and asserting that the public seeks information about such significant public safety incidents.
Regarding whether reporters were causing trouble, the association responded negatively, emphasizing journalists’ responsibility to uphold the public’s right to information.
Finally, the association questioned whether official statements could substitute for on-the-ground reporting, to which it replied in the negative, underscoring the importance of professional media in providing comprehensive coverage, according to Voice of America.
The association concluded by urging authorities not to obstruct or interrupt journalists in their work.
Instances of Chinese state media reporters facing physical harassment by authorities, especially on live television, are exceedingly rare. Furthermore, it is uncommon for a national trade association, representing Chinese journalists, to publicly defend its members’ right to work and demand respect.
By Thursday morning, the incident and its developments had become the most searched topic on China’s social media platform, Weibo, garnering 440 million views, approximately a third of the population. However, by Thursday evening, the topic had disappeared from the top 10 “hot search” list on Weibo.
Many Weibo users voiced support for the reporters and criticized law enforcement’s actions as emblematic of the unchecked power wielded by the one-party state.
In response to Hebei local authorities’ explanation that the interruption of CCTV reporters’ live feed was due to “safety concerns,” one Weibo user retorted, “The real threat to our safety is the violation of the public’s right to know and journalists’ right to do their job.”
On March 14, a statement was issued by the “command center in charge of the blast and fire incident,” acknowledging mishandling of the situation and conceding that reporters were “forced to leave the scene.”
Observing this, a Chinese commentator on X remarked, “It appears that the authorities utilised weiwen techniques on state media representatives, how ironic.” Weiwen, the Government’s term for efforts to maintain social stability, is often seen as a means of suppressing dissent, sometimes through violent means, Voice of America reported.
(with inputs from ANI)
