Crackdowns planned on illegal publishing, reporting

BEIJING - China will carry out five special campaigns to crack down on illegal journalistic operations and violations in the children's and student publishing market from January to March.

These crackdowns will target counterfeit reporters, for-profit journalism, children's books, teaching materials for primary and middle school students, as well as paper and magazine publishing, according to a State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television statement on Thursday.

"The campaigns focus on the most prominent issues in the journalism and publishing fields, which are closely related to the people, harm people's interests, induce public complaints and strong reactions," the statement said.

With the aim to regulate industrial order and ensure healthy market development, the administration said it was determined to shut down papers, punish violators, name and shame typical cases and discourage potential wrongdoers.

Meanwhile, groups and individuals responsible for publications for children with lewd and harmful content or illegally published and overpriced teaching materials will be punished.

The plans follow a series of actions taken by the Chinese government to clean up the media and publishing industries, including a two-month national campaign late last year that led to the investigation of 200 criminal cases involving people impersonating reporters for blackmail purposes.