Chinese Blogger Stage Censorship Hoax, page 1

Recently, two bloggers in China shut down their sites, leaving only a cryptic message. Hours later, news reports began to appear that the Chinese government had shut down the sites.

Some well-known bloggers in China used an unlikely tool last week to make a point that Western news media and politicians misunderstand Chinese censorship. They shut themselves down.

Notices posted on the Chinese-language blogs Massage Milk and Milk Pig announced that "Due to unavoidable reasons with which everyone is familiar, this blog is temporarily closed."

Within hours, English-language bloggers and Western news media spread the word that the Chinese government had closed the sites. The BBC news [service reported that Massage Milk was "closed down by the authorities," adding that the act had coincided with the annual session of the Chinese legislature. Picking up on that report and others from news services, French free-press group Reporters Without Borders issued a statement condemning the closure of the blogs.

Wall Street Journal

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I can see the point they were trying to make, but the situation regarding government censorship of the media in China is real. This hoax, while demonstrating the quickness of Western news outlets to shoot first and ask questions later, seems a little like walking into a hospital emergency room with a mouth full of fake blood, complaining of stomach cramps. You might garner a lot of attention, but when you get the bill and the cops arrive, the joke will be on you.

news.bbc.co.uk...

[edit on 2006/3/14 by GradyPhilpott]