News Blackout Placed On China Train Wreck
July 31, 2011 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
BEIJING, July 31 (UPI) — China says it has implemented a blackout on news coverage of the deadly high-speed train wreck that has resulted in some critical newspaper articles.
The Chinese Communist Party fired off a directive this weekend limiting coverage of the disaster to positive stories.
The New York Times said Sunday the order forced a hurried remake of several Saturday editions with investigative stories and commentaries replaced by cartoons and features.
Forty people were killed and 192 were injured July 23 when two high-speed trains collided in Zhejiang Province. The incident sparked an unusual outburst of online criticism of Beijing over the government’s development policies and alleged soft-pedaling of its failure and shortcomings.
The Times said the news blackout appeared to stir up even more bad blood. One anonymous editor said in an online commentary, “This country is being humiliated by numerous evil hands.”
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