October 30, 2008
After an accident killed a coal miner in Hongdong, Shanxi Province, journalists flocked to the coal mine, not to report, but to be bribed. In exchange, the mine would have their promise not to break the news to the media.
The scene of journalists lining up for bribe money was captured on camera by a journalist (apparently the only uncorrupted one) named Dai Xiaojun and his assistant (identified only by his Internet ID “Broadcast Shanxi”) on September 25. Their posts to various Internet forums were frequently deleted due to their sensitive nature until the photos caught the attention of China Youth Daily, which ran a feature story in its October 27 issue. The three articles in the feature are partly translated on the Zhongnanhai blog.
In response, today’s Shanxi Evening News reported that at a news conference yesterday, the provincial media administration released information about the incident.
The director and party secretary of Huobao Ganhe Coal Mine have both been fired for failing to immediately report the accident to their superiors.
A preliminary investigation showed that from Sept 24 to Sep 25, the coal mine received 28 people who claimed to be journalists, including two who carried press cards issued by the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP). According to GAPP’s strict definition of “journalist” as referring only to reporters who are officially registered with the Administration, this would make the other 26 individuals fake reporters.
October 27, 2008
The information contradicts Dai Xiaojun’s account, in which he said there were over a hundred journalists present the night the photos were taken.
The investigation also established several transactions, which amounted to 125,700 yuan, between the coal mine and six media and media-related entities. Fraud is suspected to be involved in one of the transactions.
Regarding the coal mine’s claim that it compensated a few journalists 300 to 500 yuan each for gas (1,900 yuan total), the government promised to investigate further. The newspaper did not elaborate on the possibility that this “gas money” is what is described in the photos as “journalists lining up to get paid hush money.”
- Shanxi Evening News (Chinese): Most of the journalists who got paid are fake
- Zhongnanhai Blog: Shanxi scandal: coal mine “shut up” money