China to overhaul newspaper local branches

China's press watchdog issued a circular on Thursday banning provincial reporters from improper conduct, including accepting kickbacks or providing favorable coverage in exchange for money.
Local newspaper branches and their personnel are also banned from extorting money by threatening to expose inside stories, the General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) said in the circular.
GAPP ordered its provincial-level subordinate departments to tighten supervision over the operation of media branches in the provinces.
The operating licenses for local branches could be canceled if personnel are implicated in scandals displayed improper conduct during a GAPP campaign running from April 15 to July 25, said the circular.
Local media branches were asked to carry out the overhaul and ban economic activities irrelevant to news reporting, including publishing illegitimate publications and running unauthorized websites, according to the circular.
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