At least 35 former Southern Weekly (南方周末) employees demanded the resignation of Guangdong’s propaganda chief Tuo Zhen (庹震), reports the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The open letter was distributed on the internet on Friday.
The letter accuses Mr. Tuo of ordering last-minute changes to the editorial, unbeknownst to the newspaper’s staff. The accusations, if proved true, would suggest aggressive efforts to silence reform advocates and a tightening grip over traditionally outspoken newspapers in Guangdong, media observers say.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has a short bio of Tuo Zhen – it’s not exactly the background one would expect from a leading censor and propagandist.
China Media Project (CMP, Hong Kong) translated and published excerpts from the SCMP staff’s open letter on Friday, and announced a full translation.
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Related
» Advocating Democracy, January 1, 2013
» Public-Vehicle Petitions, Dec 27, 2012
» On the Ground, The Hindu, Nov 9, 2012
Updates/Related
» 我们，曾在南方周末工作过的媒体从业者, 南洋视界, January 5, 2013
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