CHINA TOPIX

11/02/2024 07:23:44 am

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China to Crack Down on News Promoting 'Western Lifestyle'

In this photo illustration, the BBC iPlayer app is displayed on a laptop screen as hands touch its keyboard on August 2, 2016 in London, England.

(Photo : Getty Images) In this photo illustration, the BBC iPlayer app is displayed on a laptop screen as hands touch its keyboard in London, England.

Chinese regulators are cracking down social and entertainment news that promotes "Western lifestyle," making fun of traditional Chinese values and cultural classics.

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) has issued an official document ordering all news platforms including radio, television, and new media to ensure that their reports are based on the standards of the country's ideologies and adopt a "positive energy," South China Morning Post reported.

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China's new policy also limits "foreign-inspired" television shows and imposes hefty penalties on people found guilty of spreading rumors through social networking sites. It also ordered news content to be free from improper jokes, defile classics, or "express overt admiration for Western lifestyles," according to Xinhua News Agency, citing the regulator.

Furthermore, it also bans from shows from placing stars, billionaires, and Internet celebrities on pedestals as well as advocating overnight fame, fortune and hype family disputes, Xinhua reported.

News agencies are also tasked to create a performance review system to ensure the ideological orientation of their work to "strengthen restrictions, promote the good, and eliminate the bad."

Punishments for violating could include public criticism, suspension of programs, and revocation of the production license, the notice said according to South China Morning Post.

The announcement was made as the National People's Congress Standing Committee is reviewing a draft law on the film industry to make ensure that the news and entertainment organizations will uphold "excellence in both professional skills and moral integrity" and strive for a positive public image. The move comes after recent cases of high-profile celebrities dragged into drug violations and prostitution, Yahoo! News reported.  

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