Press curb retrograde

A recent proposal by the Donggguan government in Guangdong province, which seeks to issue special certificates to journalists wanting to interview its officials, has called into question the efficacy and appropriateness of a proposed rule that effectively conflicts with central government pronouncements on media's watchdog status.

The controversy stems from a document published this week on how to better facilitate the work of reporters. One of the ways the Dongguan government plans to do this is by issuing special certificates to reporters for interviewing local government officials. The certificate would be examined and renewed annually, the proposal outlines.

Although the proposal sounds innocuous enough, the catch lies in the details. Those reporters whose reporting of important local meetings or events is not accurate or inconsistent with the facts would see their certificates revoked, the document proposes.