What are the primary censoring agencies in China?

Several government bodies are involved in reviewing and enforcing laws related to information flowing within, into, and from China, but the two primary censoring agencies are the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) and the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT). GAPP licenses publishers, screens written publications (including those on the Internet), and has the power to ban materials and shut down outlets. SARFT has similar authority over radio, television, film, and Internet broadcasts.But the most powerful monitoring body is the Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department (CPD), which coordinates with GAPP and SARFT to make sure content promotes and remains consistent with party doctrine.

China’s media system is considered by press freedom organizations to be a propaganda tool. The article showed China’s news system as Propaganda Machine. The CPD gives media outlets directives restricting coverage of politically sensitive topics—such as protests, environmental disasters, Tibet, and Taiwan—which could be considered dangerous to state security and party control. The CPD guidelines are given to heads of media outlets, who in turn kill controversial stories and decide how delicate topics will be covered. Journalists who do not follow the rules face reprisals in the workplace.


Min-Suk Kim
Country: China