The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned that the Guangdong Propaganda Department tried to interfere with local media coverage of a high-speed rail disaster on July 23 in Wenzhou, in China’s east, which killed at least 35 people.

The IFJ has learned that the Guangdong Propaganda Department used records which noted the journalists that attended a July 24 press conference arranged by the railway ministry, to contact employers and pressure them to ask the journalists to leave the scene of the accident.

“Six local media outlets were asked to demand that their journalists leave Wenzhou by the Guangdong Propaganda Department,” said a Mainland journalist, who wished to remain anonymous.

The media organisations affected included newspapers Yeng Cheng Evening, Guangshou Commercial, 21 Century Media, Guangzhou Daily and its sister publication Information Times Daily, and Southern Television.

“This is the propaganda department’s usual practice after deadly disasters occur,” the journalist said.

The journalist said a similar tactic was employed with journalists and media organisations when an aircraft crashed in Yichun, Heilong Jiang Province, on August 24, 2010, when 42 people died and 54 people were injured.

“The IFJ holds great concerns that registration lists are being used to exert pressure on media organisations and individual journalists to leave the scene of a breaking news story,” the IFJ Asia-Pacific said.

“It appears that the reason Chinese authorities require registration at press conferences is to monitor journalists and then attempt to influence their reporting.”

The IFJ calls on the Guangdong Propaganda Department to cease the practice of pressuring media companies and journalists covering matters of key public concern.

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific

Find the IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific