China's government has ordered newspapers to stamp out the common practice of demanding money from people they cover, a state news agency said Tuesday, after the killing of a newspaper employee drew attention to the seamier side of the industry.

Newspapers also must make sure that only properly accredited reporters are allowed to conduct newsgathering, the China News Service said, citing an order by the national news industry regulator.

The order followed the beating death in January of newspaper employee Lan Chengzhang, who earlier reports said tried to extort money from a mine owner by threatening to publicize his illegal operation.

"News bureaus must not use news coverage to demand that subjects buy newspapers or advertising, or to do such activities as using 'exposure' in reporting to extort money," CNS said, citing the order.

Readers' comments: Greedy or poor? I don't think the journalists in China can't survive without getting "extra income". If they do so, it's because they are greedy. Morality first, wealth second. Deng didn't say that? "Let some people get rich first" Now some people have already got rich. Still there are more people want to get rich not thinking by ways of moral or not... By Watch    A vast majority of state enterprises or industries lack their watchdog who can oversee their operatioin. The government has laid down a great many documents paper stocked somewhere, but it is extremely hard to implement effectively in our work and life. So the seamy side is no wonder. When you go to see other state fields, it is all the same .No overseeing... By Happytom

It made no mention of Lan, but the killing in the northern province of Shanxi attracted widespread attention and prompted President Hu Jintao to order an unusual high-level investigation.

The case highlighted unscrupulous practices at many newspapers, where reporters demand that people they cover pay bribes or buy advertising in order to get favorable coverage or suppress bad news.

Rules issued in 2005 laid down guidelines that should prevent such misbehavior, CNS said.

"But still at news bureaus there exist many problems that violate regulations," the agency said. "This has had a serious impact on the image of news organizations' employees, and created an impression of disgust among the grass-roots masses."

It said abuses included pressuring subjects of news coverage for money, goods or advertising purchases. Other abuses included news employees improperly doing commercial work and using underage reporters.

China requires all reporters to be registered with local authorities.

Lan's death prompted an outcry by Chinese journalists and demands by foreign watchdog groups for better protections for the press.

Initial reports said the mine owner and a group of men attacked Lan and a colleague who wanted to interview him. The colleague survived but suffered a broken arm, a blistered chest and bruises, according to a statement by the newspaper.

Later reports said Lan sought out the mine owner in order to extort money from him in exchange for not reporting on the mine.

The mine owner and six other men were arrested on charges of ordering or carrying out Lan's killing.

The newspaper has not commented publicly on the circumstances of Lan's killing, but an employee who answered the phone there last month said the paper determined he was responsible for his own death.

The latest order by the news regulator requires reporters to work at a newspaper for one year before they are allowed to conduct interviews, the CNS report said.

Lan and his colleague were identified by the China Trade News as employees, not reporters. State media earlier quoted the paper's Shanxi bureau chief as saying they were not authorized to do interviews.