Chinese Journalists Fired for Reporting Outside Party Line

For more news and videos visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com
Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision
Add us on Facebook ☛ http://me.lt/9P8MUn

And we've been telling you about increasing censorship of Chinese social media, but censorship isn't just in cyberspace. Recently, several journalists in China have been fired for covering issues that are apparently not in line with the interests of the Communist Party.

Chinese journalists who report outside the official Chinese Communist Party line are being removed from their positions, as free press in the country continues to be restricted.

On Tuesday, veteran journalist Chen Jieren announced on his microblog account that he's been fired by state-run People's Daily. Chen was the executive editor of the Jiangsu People Web site—a regional online version of the People's Daily.

In the post, which has now been removed by censors, Chen said he was told that he had criticized the government too much, and that a mouthpiece of the regime cannot employ someone who does not cooperate. Chen had previously published articles questioning the political achievements celebrated by authorities. He also called for a boycott against the recent amendment on the personal identification law, which requires the registration of fingerprints.

Days before Chen was fired, another chief editor announced his departure from an investigative news magazine. Zhu Shunzhong had headed the Great Wall Monthly. It's an increasingly influential magazine, rumored to have been stopped by authorities in October. On Sunday Zhu confirmed he and his team are leaving the magazine because of "irreconcilable issues" with upper management. The Great Wall Monthly had covered topics including the controversial family planning policy, and forced demolitions around the country.

Huang Liangtian, who himself was fired as chief editor of a mainland publication in 2007, explains why the Chinese regime does not tolerate reporters like him.