China Launches Campaign Against ‘Fake News’: Central Propaganda Department Of CCP To Target Citizen Journalists, Online Content On Social Media

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched a new campaign to crack down on “fake news” especially focussing on online content, South China Morning Post reported.

The latest move is likely to place additional burden on the country’s social media platforms to screen out unsanctioned information, likely impacting citizen journalists.

The latest crackdown against comes amid Beijing's showdown with BBC. Beijing charged BBC with peddling "fake news" especially on the channel's reporting of the floods in the central province of Henan. BBC claimed that journalists affiliated to them death threats targeting the broadcaster's correspondents initiated by the Henan branch of the CCP's Youth League.

"The BBC calls for immediate action by the Chinese government to stop the attacks on journalists following reporting on the floods in Henan Province." the broadcaster said in an official statement.

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) also released a statement on expressing its concerns over so-called "harassment of journalists covering, devastating floods" in Central China's Henan Province.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian dubbed the corporation a "bad-mouthing broadcasting corporation" that had "attacked and vilified China, seriously deviating from journalistic standards" and a producer of "fake news."

Latest crackdown by Chinese authorities will target “illegal news activities” by news organisations and staff, internet platforms and public accounts, as well as unaccredited social organisations and individuals. The crackdown will be led by Central Propaganda Department of the Communist Party

Beijing also has been irked by emergence of 'Citizen journalists; who have become more popular by leveraging social media. However unaccredited reporters in China can face legal repercussions, and possibly even criminal charges.