Press Freedom and Covid-19: How Chinese Media “Caixin” Defied Censorship

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Withholding information, lack of transparency, intimidation: as the coronavirus pandemic spread around the world, more and more doubts emerged as to the management of the crisis by the Chinese authorities. Doubts partly fueled by the multiple investigations published by Caixin, an independent Chinese media, which revealed many embarrassing information for Beijing, in spite of the blocking of the capacity.

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It is thanks to three journalists, dispatched to the heart of Wuhan, that Caixin magazine was able to reveal that the first known case of coronavirus was discovered as early as December in Hubei province. The local authorities then reportedly decided not to inform the Party leadership.

► Also listen: Coronavirus: a free press in China would no doubt have prevented the pandemic, says RSF

For David Bandurski, researcher at the China Media Project, Caixin took the risk of publishing this information taking advantage of a crisis that went beyond the authorities.

“  There is no determined red line in information control in China. It is a minefield. But with this epidemic of coronavirus, it was so huge that it was difficult for the authorities to control public opinion and completely restrict information. Caixin has no magic formula. If there are dissensions within the Party hierarchy, this is an opportunity to be seized for a media of this caliber. They say to themselves  : "Ok, it's time to publish this information". "

At the end of March, journalists also revealed that more than 5,000 funeral urns were handed over to families in Wuhan, far more than the official number of dead.

But Caixin admits not having published all the revelations that the site had flushed out. Additional proof that informing without risking censorship is a clever balancing act for Chinese journalists.

► Read also: Coronavirus: disappearance of a journalist who covered the epidemic in Wuhan

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• China
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• Freedom of press
• Coronavirus

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