China's press censors at the General Administration of Press and Publication have released new restrictions on journalism. Some regulations simply reiterate journalistic best practices, others introduce new restrictions: Reporters are
required to be objective and report all sides of a story. They are prohibited from aggregating reports or relying on second-hand accounts that have not been independently verified, in particular information obtained from online sources, outside
contributors, or by phone. News organizations must set up systems to guard against the publication of false reports and strengthen responsibility at all levels and through every stage of the editorial process, including the establishment of procedures to
investigate errors and publish corrections and apologies. The rules state that journalists should rely on in-person interviews, authoritative sources of information, and verifiable facts in their reporting. Critical news reports must be
based on information from at least two different sources, and journalists must retain evidence of the information that has been received and verified. The use of anonymous sources is discouraged, with limited exceptions for national security, privacy
or other special reasons, and reporters are cautioned against describing anonymous sources with phrases such as a person familiar with the matter, a person involved in the matter, or an authoritative person. Likewise, the use of
pen names is barred, and reporters and editors involved in a story must sign their real names to it. Crucially, the rules also reiterate that reporters must be licensed by and warns news organizations against hiring reporters on a temporary basis,
eg freelancers and temps.
| 
