China journalists banned from disseminating state secrets

BEIJING - China's press authority has issued rules to tighten management on information including state secrets received by journalists during their work.

Journalists are banned from illegal copying, recording, or storage of state secrets, according to the rules made public on Tuesday but released by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television on June 30.

According to the administration, the rules cover various information, materials and news products that journalists may deal with during their work, including state secrets, commercial secrets and unpublicized information.

Under the rules, journalists should not violate non-disclosure agreements signed with their employers.

"Reporters, editors and anchormen should not disseminate state secrets in any form via any media and they should not mention such information in their private exchanges or letters," the rules stipulate.

The administration asked media institutions to standardize and step up management of job-related information and sign non-disclosure agreements with journalists in accordance with the law.