17th Central Committee’s “Culture Document” – 6: Correct Guidance of Public Opinion

Click here for an explanation of the document translated in this series of posts.

« Previous post: (Socialist Honor and Shame, para [d], Erwei and Shuangbai, paras [a] and  [b]). The following is  a translation of the Erwei and Shuangbai chapter’s para (c).

c) The work of the news media must be strengthened, the correct guidance of public opinion is for the good of the party and the people, and errors in the guidance of public opinion spell disaster for the party and the people. We must adhere to a Marxist perspective on the news^*), firmly grasp the correct direction, uphold, encourage and strengthen unity and stability, with priority given to positive propaganda, expand mainstream opinion, improve public opinion guidance’s timeliness, authority, public credibility, and influence, elaborate and propagandize the party’s position, promote societal righteousness, understand public sentiments clearly, guide social hot spots, channel the feelings of the masses, handle the function  of supervising public opinion well, protect the people’s right to information, participation, expression and supervision. For information dissemination,  and with party newspapers and journals, news agencies, radio and television as priorities, the combined urban media, the internet, etc., in accordance with an overall plan, we must build a pattern of public-opinion guidance with clear responsibilities, complementary functions, wide-spread effect, and high efficiency. We must strengthen and improve positive propaganda, strengthen systematic propaganda of socialist core values, strengthen our analysis and judgment of public opinion, guidance of social hot spots and problematic issues, and – beginning with the concerns of the masses – scientifically clarify puzzles and answer questions, and effectively cohere common views. We must handle news coverage on sudden major incidents well. bring the news coverage system to perfection, build a comprehensive system of emergency coverage and guidance of public opinion, improve timeliness and effectiveness, and increase transparency. We must strengthen and improve supervision of public opinion, promote and solve problems [in the way of] high esteem for the party and the government, and practical problems to which the masses react strongly, protect the interests of the people, the close ties between the party and the masses, and advance societal harmony. News media and news workers must grasp and uphold social responsibility and professional virtue, authentically and accurately disseminate news and information, resist false points of view on their own initiative, and resolutely eradicate false news.

(三)加强和改进新闻舆论工作。舆论导向正确是党和人民之福，舆论导向错误是党和人民之祸。要坚持马克思主义新闻观，牢牢把握正确导向，坚持团结稳定鼓 劲、正面宣传为主，壮大主流舆论，提高舆论引导的及时性、权威性和公信力、影响力，发挥宣传党的主张、弘扬社会正气、通达社情民意、引导社会热点、疏导公 众情绪、搞好舆论监督的重要作用，保障人民知情权、参与权、表达权、监督权。以党报党刊、通讯社、电台电视台为主，整合都市类媒体、网络媒体等宣传资源， 构建统筹协调、责任明确、功能互补、覆盖广泛、富有效率的舆论引导格局。加强和改进正面宣传，加强社会主义核心价值体系宣传，加强舆情分析研判，加强社会 热点难点问题引导，从群众关注点入手，科学解疑释惑，有效凝聚共识。做好重大突发事件新闻报道，完善新闻发布制度，健全应急报道和舆论引导机制，提高时效 性，增加透明度。加强和改进舆论监督，推动解决党和政府高度重视、群众反映强烈的实际问题，维护人民利益，密切党群关系，促进社会和谐。新闻媒体和新闻工 作者要秉持社会责任和职业道德，真实准确传播新闻信息，自觉抵制错误观点，坚决杜绝虚假新闻。

To be continued. Continued here.
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Notes

^*) see correct guidance of public opinion here, too.

Related

» Human Rights: Throw them a Bone, April 16, 2011
» Many Cents, January 13, 2011
» How Real is the 50-Cent-Party, December 20, 2008

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