China Closes Beijing Newspaper in Media Crackdown

The cover-up of the SARS epidemic in China at its initial stage has caused many foreign governments and international organizations to blame the Chinese government. Following the criticism China has enjoyed a period of relative openness and freedom in the news media. It was reinforced by China’s new president and premier who ordered accuracy and transparency in SARS reporting. However, recently, when SARS seems to be waning, the Party's Propaganda Department has gone back to censorship going to the extent of closing one newspaper for publishing an article on "sensitive topics." As the SARS outbreak has shown, a strictly controlled media can deepen a crisis, harming not just the society, but also the world at large. – YaleGlobal