China today launched a nationwide campaign on fake news and ban journalists and newspapers from extorting money in return for stories.
The campaign will seek to "prevent extortion by news reporting and contain the spread of fake news," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted an official statement as saying.
No timetable was given for the campaign, which organisers say will involve more hotlines and online platforms for the public to report malpractice by journalists and newspapers.
Though expanded in a big way, the media in China is state owned and the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) held orientation courses for media personnel across the country.
The campaign, jointly launched by the Publicity Department of the CPC and another eight government ministries and offices, will make journalists' personal information more accessible in case people need to check their identity, the statement said.
