China imposes sanctions on news sites for its own reporting

The Chinese government has fined some major sites in the country and forced them to shut down parts for violating laws. The sites published their own stories on social and political topics, which is not allowed in China.

Sina’s Geek News, Sohu’s People in the News, Sohu’s Radian and Click Today, and Netease’s Echos and Road Sign, among others, have been ordered to shut down by China’s Cyberspace Administration. It involves some of the largest portals in the country. In addition to the websites of those parts, apps and WeChat accounts must also be closed, according to state media in the country.

The sites violated the Cyberspace Administration’s Internet News Information Services provisions. They state that news articles on social and political topics should only come from news organizations run by central, provincial or municipal governments.

Reporters from news sites in China will not be eligible for government press cards until November last year. Earlier this year, the CAC allegedly cracked down on news sites for “making up” stories, according to an English-language report on Sina.