Chinese journalists to get refresher course in Marxism

Chinese officials have evidently had enough reporters’ increasingly freewheeling free-market attitude, and are planning to send them back to the woodshed for some old-school Marxist ideological training:  China will toughen requirements for reporters by launching a new certification system that requires training in Marxist and communist theories of news, a media official said, citing problems ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
572537_100311_propa_poster2.jpg
572537_100311_propa_poster2.jpg

Chinese officials have evidently had enough reporters' increasingly freewheeling free-market attitude, and are planning to send them back to the woodshed for some old-school Marxist ideological training: 

Chinese officials have evidently had enough reporters’ increasingly freewheeling free-market attitude, and are planning to send them back to the woodshed for some old-school Marxist ideological training: 

China will toughen requirements for reporters by launching a new certification system that requires training in Marxist and communist theories of news, a media official said, citing problems with the current crop of mainland journalists.[…]

Communist theories of journalism say media should serve the leadership and not undermine its initiatives — a stark contrast to the independent government watchdog role many democracies embrace. […]

“Comrades who are going to be working on journalism’s front lines must learn theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics and be taught Marx’s view on news, plus media ethics and Communist Party discipline on news and propaganda,” Li told Xinhua on Monday.

Joshua Keating is a former associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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