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The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) is very disappointed at the minimal level of access granted to resident foreign journalists in mainland China during the just-concluded "Two Sessions" meetings in Beijing. fccchina.org/working-condit

ICIJ welcomes 20 new reporters to its global journalism network - ICIJ

ICIJ

@ICIJorg

May 5

Twenty top reporters have joined ICIJ's network, boosting it to more than 290 members worldwide. The new journalists, announced on World Press Freedom Day, hail from 18 countries, including four not previously represented in the consortium.

icij.org

The new members, announced on World Press Freedom Day, hail from 18 countries, including four not previously represented in the consortium.

李其 Lizzi

@wstv_lizzi

May 5

Haze Fan of Bloomberg updated her Instagram after a long absence (she was released on bail Jan of 2022)

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The FCCC asks China to grant open access to official events and to allow resident journalists to ask their own questions at press conferences.

Such a faux display of press access diminishes meaningful and balanced coverage of Chinese domestic politics, to the detriment of both China and audiences globally.

…with foreign journalists who told resident reporters they had been flown in recently on Chinese state-sponsored "Belt and Road"-themed press junkets+ paid-for training programs. All question-askers at press events were selected ahead of time and their questions pre-screened.

The editorial's claim is blatantly false. The vast majority of resident correspondents were only allowed to watch press events of the Two Sessions from a television screen. Instead, events such as the new premier's and new foreign minister's press conferences were filled…

"The fact that foreign reporters can freely do interviews at the sessions of China's top legislative body&top political advisory body is best evidence against the FCCC report," claims one state media editorial, regarding our latest media freedoms report.

Correspondent requests to attend more substantive events and interview specific delegates were either ignored or denied.

…(out of around 300 total correspondents in mainland China) were then invited to attend the largely-performative opening ceremony of China's legislature. To attend, reporters had to complete a 12-hour quarantine, despite the complete relaxation of Covid controls nationwide.

Many resident correspondents did not receive confirmation they had even successfully registered online until the day before the opening ceremony. Official events remain highly curated. For example, fewer than two dozen resident correspondents…

To cover the Two Sessions advisory and legislative meetings in the capital last week, correspondents had to first register online, obtain event credentials, and then apply to attend specific events and interview delegates.

Chinese authorities have progressively stepped up intimidation of sources who speak to foreign media and harassed journalists on reporting trips. Now, even access to state-organized public events have been effectively cut off for foreign correspondents residing in China.

Statement on lack of access to the Two Sessions fccchina.org/working-condit

Canada en Chine

@CanadaChine

Mar 7

C’est comment travailler en tant que #journaliste étranger en Chine ? 👉 Voir le rapport 2022 du Club des correspondants étrangers de Chine sur la liberté des médias Les faits comptent La vérité compte #DéfendreLaLibertédesMédias

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1/ This week, @FCCC published its annual working condition report on another tough year. Covid controls strangled coverage plans of bureaus, which were already battered in morale and greatly diminished in numbers by successive expulsions and delays in granting new visas.

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Canada in China

@CanadaChina

Mar 7

What is it like to work as a foreign #journalist in China? 👉See the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China’s Media Freedoms Report 2022: ‘Zero Covid, Many Controls: Covering China in 2022’ Facts matter Truth matters #DefendMediaFreedom

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14/ Read the full report here: fccchina.org/2023/03/01/med END

13/ The survey is based on 102 correspondents representing news orgs from 30 countries. More than 1 in 10 respondents were based outside mainland China bc they were unable to receive accreditation to report there – a reflection of how reporting about China is increasingly remote.

12/ This year looks to be different, but press working conditions in China have significant room for improvement if journalists are to be able to tell the China story well, as the government claims to desire.

11/ China continues to be one of the most important stories of our time, yet since the start of the global pandemic, press freedoms have declined at an accelerated pace. Foreign correspondents traveled less and were able to cover less in depth, in part because Covid restrictions.

10/ Harassment of foreign journalists by officials and the security services also peaked during these news making moments in the 2022. 36% of respondents who covered the Party Congress said they weren’t granted access to any of the events they applied for.

9/ The delays in visas and other obstacles in reporting stretched thin outlets’ ability to cover a series of groundbreaking events in China, such as the Winter Olympic Games, the Communist Party Congress, and in November, peaceful demonstrations against “zero-Covid'' policies.

8/ In 2023, the outlook for visas still seems grim. U.S.-China negotiations over new visas for reporters working for American outlets have stalled. One US reporter w/valid card had their residence permit revoked and was barred from re-entering China after a routine trip.

7/ 56% of bureaus which were waiting on new journalist visas last year said they had not yet gotten them. Of those, 60% said they were told geopolitical tensions were to blame for the delay.

6/ Most outlets say they are still waiting on entry permits+work accreditation for new reporters to boost headcounts that were already low due to China’s Covid-era border controls. This cuts into outlets’ capacity to cover one of the most populous nations on the planet.

5/ 56% said they were obstructed at least once by police or other officials during 2022 (compared to 62% the previous year. 31% said trips or interviews were canceled because of official pressure.

4/Of the respondents to our survey, 100% said China did not meet international standards for press freedoms and reporting last year.

3/ 38% said at least one of their sources had been harassed/detained by the authorities for interacting w/ foreign journalists, up from a quarter last year. 45% said their Chinese colleague(s) were pressured, harassed, or intimidated at least once, up from 40% last year.

2/ While Covid controls have since been lifted, state restrictions, ongoing digital surveillance, + continued harassment of Chinese colleagues and sources means existing challenges to true freedom of the press in China remain. fccchina.org/2023/03/01/med

1/ This week,

@FCCC

published its annual working condition report on another tough year. Covid controls strangled coverage plans of bureaus, which were already battered in morale and greatly diminished in numbers by successive expulsions and delays in granting new visas.

Beh Lih Yi 馬麗怡

@behlihyi

"Covid controls have been lifted, but a bevy of state restrictions, ongoing digital surveillance & the continued harassment of Chinese colleagues & sources means existing challenges to true freedom of the #press in #China remain" New

report: fccchina.org/2023/03/01/med

publica el seu informe anual sobre les dificultats per fer periodisme a la #Xina. Interessant per al gremi i per a tothom que cregui la informació veraç no és essencial per a la llibertat. S'accentua la persecució de les fonts. fccchina.org/2023/03/01/med

Thomas Hacker

@hacker_fdp

#China hat die Pandemie als Vorwand genutzt, um ausländische Journalisten weiter zu schikanieren. #Pressefreiheit + unabhängige Justiz sind Despoten immer ein Dorn im Auge. Die #KPCh steht sinnbildlich dafür. (TH)

Journalisten in China: Arbeitsbedingungen schlecht wie nie

@ReporterOG

tagesschau.de

Die Arbeitsbedingungen für ausländische Journalisten in China haben sich im vergangenen Jahr noch einmal verschlechtert. Laut einer Umfrage haben Druck, Überwachung und Einschüchterung weiter...

Tom Grundy

@tomgrundy

1/ "A bevy of state restrictions, ongoing digital surveillance, and the continued harassment of Chinese colleagues and sources means existing challenges to true freedom of the press in China remain", the

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

report said.

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@hkfp

Foreign journalists in China restricted, harassed and constantly tracked in 2022, says press group

hongkongfp.com/2023/03/01/for @fccchina

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

@hkfp

Foreign journalists in China restricted, harassed and constantly tracked in 2022, says press group 🔗 hongkongfp.com/2023/03/01/for

Buitenlandse journalisten in China: lastiggevallen door politie, bronnen geïntimideerd, werken...

heeft z'n jaarlijkse rapport over persvrijheid in China (of het gebrek daaraan) gepubliceerd. Helaas is de trend nog steeds downwards, kan ik bevestigen - Buitenlandse journalisten in China: lastiggevallen door politie, bronnen geïntimideerd:

nrc.nl

Persvrijheid: De Chinese overheid maakt het buitenlandse correspondenten steeds moeilijker om hun werk te doen. „We hebben maar één reportagereis buiten Beijing kunnen maken.”

@meifong@mstdn@social/ @meifong.bsky.social

@meifongwriter

SOBERING STAT: 100% foreign reporters say China does not meet int standards for #pressfreedom,

. While Covid controls lifted, state restrictions, ongoing digital surveillance + harassment of Chinese colleagues & sources continue. fccchina.org/2023/03/01/med

William Gallo

@GalloVOA

A snapshot of what it’s like to do journalism in China, via the

2022 FCCC Report_final.pdf

's annual report:

drive.google.com

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

@hkfp

[Recap] Foreign journalists in China restricted, harassed and constantly tracked in 2022, says press group hongkongfp.com/2023/03/01/for

Foreign journalists in China restricted, harassed and constantly tracked in 2022, says press group

hongkongfp.com

Foreign media in China endured strict Covid controls, widespread harassment and constant surveillance in 2022, a press group said Wednesday. Nearly half of foreign journalists in the country were o…

Pablo M. Díez

@PabloDiez_ABC

Trabajar en #China como corresponsal de un medio extranjero es siempre difícil, pero el año pasado se volvió casi imposible por los controles y restricciones del #Covid 0, que el régimen aprovechó para impedir viajes y entrevistas, denuncia