New committee to uphold media ethics

A new committee will be established to implement a self-discipline pact on ethics in the media industry.

Zhang Haitao, president of the China Alliance of Radio, Film and Television (CARFT), on Thursday confirmed that the committee will be established by the CARFT.

A total of 50 media organizations signed a pact in September promising to uphold media ethics. It included clauses on the promotion of "healthy and tasteful style" and united opposition of false reporting, vulgar content, harmful information, plagiarism, and false advertising. Those that signed were from across the press, publication, radio, television and film sectors.

The signatories pledged to "protect the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the interests of the state, and to not publish or spread any information that would undermine the image of either."

"[Media practitioners] play an important role in shaping the minds, values and lifestyles of the public, and they must be the bastions of high standards," Zhang said.

He said the committee will also be tasked with dealing with any misdemeanors by signatories, with punishments such as warnings, demotion or dismissal. It can also order individuals or organizations to issue public apologies, disqualify them from awards or blacklist them, effectively barring them from working in the industry.

CARFT will update its website with violations it has uncovered on a regular basis. Endi