Chinese officials manhandle state TV reporters live on air

CHINESE journalists working for state TV were manhandled live on air while trying to report on the aftermath of a blast outside of Beijing, prompting a rare public apology from government officials.

A powerful suspected gas explosion on Wednesday morning at a fried chicken shop in Sanhe, just outside the capital, killed seven people and injured 27 others.

When reporters from state-run television and radio arrived at the scene, they were physically confronted by security guards and told to stop filming.

A video clip on Chinese social media showed two men in black uniforms blocking the camera of a reporter from China Central TV, the state television channel, as she attempted to conduct a live interview. Another showed a reporter from China’s state radio saying she was being pushed about by more than a dozen people.

Sanhe’s authorities apologised yesterday, blaming “poor communication skills” of front-line staff who they said were just trying to protect reporters from the risk of another gas leak.

“Their rough and simplistic methods caused misunderstandings among journalists and doubts among the public, resulting in a negative social impact,” the statement said. “We are deeply aware that safeguarding the legitimate reporting of journalists is needed to satisfy the public’s right to know.”

The harassment, shown live during the midday newscast, was a rare offscript moment for China’s tightly controlled state media.

Foreign journalists are often harassed or prevented from reporting, with authorities citing concerns of social stability and national security. However, it is rarely acknowledged by the state.

Earlier this month, a Dutch journalist and a camera operator were detained while reporting on a protest outside an investment bank in the south-western province of Sichuan. Authorities shoved the journalist to the ground and used umbrellas to block the camera.

The Telegraph’s own correspondent also experienced regular harassment while still based in China.

“If mouths are covered during a prominent public safety incident such as this, what can be said of other public incidents?” wrote one user on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

The All-china Journalists Association, overseen by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, put out a statement defending the journalists’ right to report from disaster sites but fell short of explicitly condemning the Sanhe authorities’ actions.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesman, said China welcomes journalists to “conduct interviews and reports in accordance with the law and regulations”.