Journalists around the world should be allowed to work unimpeded in order to report accurately and comprehensively.

A new FCCC survey about reporting access to Tibet found 86 percent of respondents said it is not currently possible to report accurately and comprehensively on Tibet. Respondents listed travel restrictions and the reluctance of sources to speak freely as the top reasons.

Among  the 35 applications submitted by survey respondents for independent reporting trips to the Tibet Autonomous Region in the past two years, only four have been approved.

Critics of the international media in China fault alleged superficial reporting about Tibet but, at the same time, reporters are denied opportunities to work unhampered there.

For detailed survey data and journalists’ comments, please read the attached PDF file.

This week, an FCCC member working for German television reported that police in Beijing threatened and intimidated her Chinese assistant after, on her direction, he videotaped at a migrant school slated for demolition. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident.

In the latest survey of FCCC members, conducted in May, many correspondents reported their Chinese employees have been coming under increased pressure from the government. Out of the 65 correspodents who replied to a survey question about Chinese news assistants, 37 percent said their Chinese employees had been harassed, pressured or intimated at least once in the past year, while another 12 percent said this had happened three or more times.

We believe that as reporting conditions and regulations in China have continued to improve, so too should the conditions for Chinese citizens working in foreign news bureaus. These employees are important to our work here and their protection is in keeping with accepted international reporting practices.

The FCCC Board

Following the prepared statements, there was no chance for reporters attending the event to ask questions, which would have highlighted what Obama told college students in Shanghai earlier in the week about the benefits to society of freedom of expression.

“This was an historic meeting between the two leaders, and journalists should have had the opportunity to ask questions, to probe beyond the statements,” said FCCC President Scott McDonald.

The FCCC also urges international media organizations attending the World Media Summit in Beijing to press China to keep its word on reporting rights and freedoms for foreign correspondents.

The FCCC still receives regular reports of interference, harassment and violence against journalists as they do their work. Most recently, a lack of transparency interfered with proper planning and coverage of the Oct. 1 National Day parade, with several journalists reporting interference while trying to cover the ceremony.

“President Hu’s comments are a step in the right direction,” said FCCC President Scott McDonald. “But implementation is crucial. It has been far too patchy in the past.”

The FCCC calls for further action to bring China’s laws and regulations into accordance with international norms — notably regarding limits on state secrecy, protection of sources, freedom of expression on the internet and provisions for independent journalists’ organizations.

In the future, for such large events, the FCCC calls on the Chinese authorities to provide better coordination, earlier information and a more transparent allocation of passes, all of which would be in keeping with normal international practices and China’s pledges of openness toward the media.

According to Kyodo, the three journalists were attacked, hit and pushed to the ground on the evening of Sept. 18. Some of their equipment was also damaged.

The three were covering a rehearsal for the Oct. 1 National Day parade, an event carried out on Beijing’s biggest street in front of thousands of people.

In recent weeks, many Beijing-based journalists have been verbally warned by the authorities not to film the preparations or to open windows overlooking the parades. The legal basis for these warnings has not been made clear.

The FCCC calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify, in writing, any rules it has regarding coverage of these events.

“This attack is a step backward in China’s efforts to open up the reporting environment. We urge restraint on the part of authorities, who must follow China’s own rules allowing foreign journalists to report freely,” said FCCC President Scott McDonald.

The journalists were reporting on protests when they were tackled by paramilitary police while running to escape tear gas fired to disperse crowds. The journalists said they were punched and kicked by the police, then detained face-down on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs for 15-20 minutes. The journalists repeatedly asked the armed police to check their State Council-issued press ID cards but the requests were ignored.

“I was beaten with a baton on my shoulder and punched and kicked on my knee and lower back,” said Lam Tsz-ho, a reporter with Hong Kong’s TVB. “My cameraman was also beaten all over his body with a baton.”

The journalists were taken to a police station where they were held for two or three hours. The crews eventually had their damaged equipment returned, but one crew’s tape was confiscated and still missing. During the same period, paramilitary police also seized an APTN camera crew’s equipment, returning it five hours later.

The incidents stand in contrast to the relatively open and safe reporting conditions foreign correspondents met while covering Urumqi riots in July.

“The beating and harassing of journalists must stop. The local authorities in Xinjiang must ensure that journalists are able to do their jobs without fear of attacks,” said FCCC President Scott McDonald.

For more details:
http://www.fccchina.org/category/incident-reports/

Also see related statement from the Foreign Correspondents Club, Hong Kong and a letter from the club to the Chinese government.

While foreign correspondents are still denied access to the Tibet Autonomous Region, the FCCC took note of the relatively open reporting environment, with some exceptions, in Urumqi in the wake of the July 5 riots. The Olympic regulations, which were made permanent in October 2008, allow foreign reporters to travel out of Beijing without first seeking permission from local authorities.

FCCC members report increased intimidation of sources and domestic staff, a trend that threatens progress toward greater openness.

“Authorities are using intimidation to silence sources and prevent assistants from doing their jobs. This should be stopped immediately,” said FCCC President Scott McDonald. “We urge China to move closer to the best international practices by introducing legislation that protects sources.”

The FCCC is concerned about authorities’ recent threats to charge Chinese national staff and foreign financial reporters with violating state secrecy laws if they run afoul of certain guidelines on reporting of economic and financial data that are not spelled out clearly.

The FCCC condemns such threats, and urges China to bring its state secrecy laws in line with international practice.

“As China’s economic and financial influence increases, it is crucial for the global economy that China increase transparency and the free and fair flow of financial data,” said McDonald.