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Two Fujian TV journalists attacked trying to report in China
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the attack on two journalists working in Fuzhou, Fujian in south-eastern China. The IFJ calls for immediate action to end the culture of violence against the media community in China.According to reports in The Mirror on April 3, a journalist and cameraman from Fujian Radio and Television Network were harassed and attacked by a group of several people on March 30 as they tried to report on a domestic complaint. The report said that local residents suspected a local developer was involved in fraud and made a complaint to local media. When the two journalists arrived, they were immediately surrounded by a group of people, obstructing them from reporting.According to The Mirror report, the journalist was slapped and pushed to the floor by the group, while the cameraman was attacked as he tried to defend his colleague. The cameraman was pushed to the floor and the camera was damaged. The pair was examined at the local hospital; they received severe bruising in the attack.The attack was condemned by local media outlet. It remains unclear if any arrests have been made.The IFJ Asia Pacific Office said: “The attack on two media workers simply doing their job is a violation of media freedom and illustrative of the state of press freedom in China. The rate at which journalists are attacked, intimidated and harassed in China is one of the highest across the world. The IFJ calls on the Chinese government to take immediate and necessary steps to change the culture of violence and impunity against journalists and the media.”