China Newspaper Punished For Revealing CCTV's Pre-Olympic Knowledge

Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao reported that the management staff of a China-based newspaper has been punished for "revealing that China's state broadcaster CCTV knew about Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang's injury" heading into his failed heat in the London Games, according to WANTCHINATIMES.com. Nanjing newspaper Oriental Guardian reported that CCTV knew Liu was "nursing an injury going into the race and had prepared four scripts in advance to prepare for the likelihood that Liu would fail to live up to the country's expectations." Oriental Guardian Editor-In-Chief Chen Zhaohui "has been suspended," Deputy Editor Yu Jiechen received an "official warning," and News Dir Guo Xiaosong and Zhao Zaiqiang and Editorial Assistant Zhang Yuhai "were sacked." The reporter who wrote the article, however, was "reassigned to another position" since he was not responsible for the "offending headline." Sources said that the punishment was determined by the Nanjing Daily News Group, which owns the Oriental Guardian (WANTCHINATIMES.com, 8/28).