Summary

Chapter Eight begins by introducing the Central Propaganda Department (CPD) and its role in Chinese society. The CPD exercised strict control over all types of media from books and films, to video games and ads. Most notably, it largely dictated what information could be printed in the press. The department banned some topics outright, such as the Tiananmen Square protests, and released statements on more current events that news outlets were expected to disseminate in nearly exact form. Most journalists, fearing reprisal, closely followed the CPD’s dictates. A significant exception to this was Hu Shuli, the editor of Caijing, a Beijing-based magazine and website.

Shuli was far more aggressive in her reporting, often uncovering corruption scandals and refusing to portray an overly optimistic version of events like the SARS epidemic and 2008 earthquake. Despite this, the magazine was particularly popular with high-ranking party...