On October 1, Xinhua published a commentary titled “Internet rumors: this tumor must be removed.” The article stated, “Recently, multiple incidents of lies and rumors have been spread on China’s Internet. They have polluted the cyber environment, disrupted the social order, seriously impaired the image and credibility of our nation’s Internet, and incited public indignation from the majority of netizens and the cyber industry. The chief of the Cyber News Propaganda Bureau under the China Internet Network Information Center gave a talk on September 30, in which he condemned the act of creating and disseminating rumors and vowed to severely punish the action of creating and disseminating rumors. Xinhuanet.com launched initiatives calling for the general netizens and practitioners of Internet business to jointly ignore disseminated reports that contain cyber lies and rumors.”
“To remove such tumors needs not only the joint regulation of relevant authorities, but also for mainstream websites to maintain self-disciplinary actions and for general netizens to voluntary boycott them. … People’s Daily Online also launched a special topic on its homepage, ‘Resolutely stop fabricating facts and lies to be spread on the Internet’ to widely induce comments from the media and from Internet users and denounce the despicable acts of fabricating facts and promulgating lies.”
Source: Xinhua, October 1, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/comments/2011-10/01/c_122114976.htm