China risks damaging its own international image by restricting reporting by resident foreign correspondents, a new report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has found. Fair Games, the 2022 IFJ China Report, is released today as the 2022 Winter Olympics get under way in Beijing, revealing how China limits reporting at home while trying to sway global coverage in its favour.
The report reveals barriers to speaking directly to ordinary Chinese citizens and an increasing reliance on sources living outside China, whose views may be more negative, make it harder for the foreign media to tell China’s story in the most comprehensive and nuanced way.