Beijing: In the midst of China’s offer to tighten control over free speech in this country, the XI Jinping-LED government adds investment in media organizations to the ‘prohibited investment’ list.
As per the size posted on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) website, the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) said it was ‘requesting public opinion’ about adding private sector investment in media organizations to the illegal investment list, Asia’s free radio was reported.
“The government ensures that it controls its message, it will not submit a pen to others,” a retired lecturer at Shanxi University added that “he wants a dominating voice to rule everything.” The order states that “organizations without public sector investment may not be involved in business involving newspapers, editing or broadcasting.” This order intends to curb private investment in news agencies, newspaper publishing groups, radio broadcasting or television, and online news providers, editing services or publishers, orders stated.
In addition to the media, Beijing has also prohibited private investment in the fields including political, economic, military, or diplomatic organizations, Radio Free Asia reported.
Meanwhile, China also significantly increases its efforts to influence media coverage to increase global narratives about themselves.
Beijing has used the media as an important tool to affirm power and increase its narrative in international discourse, China is undergraduate, journalists, and experts abroad, censor domestic media while guarding the tab in China’s Diaspora abroad, post HK reported.