Confidentiality is key to ensuring integrity

Maintaining the authenticity of Dianshi Wenzheng, or Questioning Officials on TV, and ensuring that the audience sees the officials' immediate reactions and suggestions, is a constant battle.

The secret videos we broadcast are the most powerful elements of the program, so we've racked our brains to make sure the contents of the tapes remain confidential. The reporters and live studio hosts are divided into separate groups that are only responsible for their part of the program. The groups aren't allowed to exchange information, which means only a very limited number of senior people have access to the program's full running order and contents.

During the past four years, almost all of Wuhan's top officials have appeared on the show to answer questions. It's extremely difficult to ensure the contents of the tapes remain 100 percent secret, and some of the officials may have their own ways of finding out so they can prepare accordingly. There are no laws to prevent this sort of disclosure.