Journalists banned from writing for overseas media  

总局：禁止新闻从业人员违反约定担任境外媒体的专栏作者等行为

新闻从业人员要遵守与所在新闻单位签订的职务行为信息保密协议。不得违反约定，向其他境内外媒体、网站提供职务行为信息，或者担任境外媒体的“特约记者”、“特约通讯员”、“特约撰稿人”或专栏作者等。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) –Chinese journalists are banned from writing reports or columns for overseas media, officials from China's press authority said.

The rule was revealed on Wednesday by an unnamed official from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, in an interview. One day earlier, Xinhua reported that the administration issued rules on June 30 to tighten management on information, including state secrets received by journalists during their work.

The official said journalists should not disclose information they obtain in the course of their work, either on the Internet or to overseas media.

Journalists are required to abide by the confidentiality agreement they make with their employers, and banned from sharing state secrets with any individual or media, according to the official.

Media workers will be punished if they break the regulation, the official added, and those who leak secrets may be handed over to judicial departments.

The official said the regulation is needed, as some journalists have damaged the country's interests and disturbed media order by sharing classified information with others or for illegal profits.