Forced To Run A Pro-Gov Editorial, One Nanfang Media Group Paper Placed It Next To A Pest Extermination Ad

Global Times editorial placement

The Central Propaganda Department can force papers to run their government-line editorials, but even with the power vested in them by the Party, it can’t determine where those op-eds appear.

Like, say, next to a humongous ad for pesticide control.

As noticed by the one-man reporting machine John Kennedy, here’s how the Xiaoxiang Morning Post, a sibling publication of Southern Weekly under the Nanfang Media Group, chose to run the now-infamous Global Times editorial:

Xiaoxiang Morning Post placement of GT editorial

That’s not all, of course.

Via the same indispensable Twitter feed of John Kennedy, here’s how Beijing News handled the editorial — headline: “Global Times published an editorial about ‘the Southern Weekly incident.’”

Beijing News headline

It’s a perfectly snarky response to an iron-fisted directive, much like the acrostics that appeared earlier this week across various online portals to express support for Southern Weekly.

POSTSCRIPT: We’ll note again that it was a sad day in the Beijing News office last night, as its publisher, Dai Zigeng, verbally resigned instead of choosing to reign over the publication of GT’s editorial. People were reportedly crying over the incident:

Although there now seems to be a little confusion as to whether his resignation was accepted, or when it’ll be effective:

More details will surface soon, we’re sure.

(H/T China Digital Times)

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