Ignore That Man Being Beaten in the Street

International press is having marginal success infiltrating China’s Great Red Wall of media blackout, but it’s another story for hometown journos. According to Australia’s The Age, which is rapidly becoming our go-to source for non-Michael Phelps Olympics-related news, the Chinese propaganda bureau gave its country’s writers and editors guidelines for covering what could be perceived as negative stories. The gist: Don’t.

A stunningly frank 21-point plan from the propaganda bureau was issued to editors and journalists, ordering them to ignore hot international topics and any issues that may reflect negatively on the Olympic Games. Off limits are Tibet, Falun Gong, food safety matters including cancer-causing mineral water, the three official protest parks and emergencies inside Olympic venues

Reports of the plan — first discovered by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post — come a day after John Ray, Independent Television News‘ China correspondent, was dragged through the street after witnessing a pro-Tibetan rally.

Beijing officials deny the existence of the 21-point plan. Wang Wei, vice president of the Beijing Olympic committee, told The Age, “There is no such 21-point document. Chinese media, according to the Chinese constitution, are free to report on the Games.”

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