NOTE: This translation was originally published on the China Copyright and Media blog, a project of DigiChina’s Prof. Rogier Creemers of the University of Leiden. It has not been edited, double-checked, or standardized with DigiChina’s original content. Read more.
XGCF No. (2014)122
All provincial, autonomous region and municipal press, publications, radio, film and television bureaus and Internet information offices, the Xinjiang Production-Construction Corps Press and Publications Bureau and Internet information office, the Liberation Army General Political Department Propaganda Department Press and Publications Bureau and Internet Information Office, all Central and State bodies’ ministries and commissions, all democratic parties, all controlling work units of people’s organization’s news bodies and central news websites:
In order to strengthen the construction of editorial and journalistic teams in news websites and raise the overall quality of teams, on the basis of the relevant requirements of the Centre, and according to the relevant provisions of the “State Council Notice concerning Authorizing the Cyberspace Administration of China to Be Responsible for Internet Information Content Management Work”, the Internet Information Service Management Rules”, the “Internet News Information Service Management Regulations” and the “Journalist Credential Management Rules”, it has been decided that journalist credentials will be approved and issued to news websites who have obtained a Category I Internet News Information Service Permit and conform to conditions, according to the principles of “careful implementation, phased approval, security and order, manageability and controllability”. Hereby, the relevant matters are notified as follows:
I, Scope of application
On-duty staff in news websites who engage in newsgathering and editing work full-time, in news websites that have obtained a Category I Internet News Information Service Permit and have been approved by the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Journalist credentials will not be issued to the following staff:
(1) Staff in non-newsgathering and editing positions in news websites, including Party affairs, administration, logistics, advertising, distribution, management, technology, etc.
(2) Staff outside news websites, including correspondents providing copy or programmes to news websites, special contributors, special correspondents, full-time or part-time staff from Party and government bodies, enterprise and undertaking work units who provide copy to news websites.
(3) Staff who have received severe punishment due to violations of law or discipline during newsgathering and editing activities, as well as staff who have bad employment records.
No fees of any kind are to be collected from news website newsgathering and editing staff applying for journalist credentials.
II, Application conditions
News website staff applying for journalist credentials must simultaneously meet the following conditions:
(1) abiding by State laws and regulations, and professional news workers’ ethics.
(2) being within the news website’s personnel allocation or having been officially employed, engaging in newsgathering and editing work full-time, and having a newsgathering and editing work history of more than one year
(3) having an academic record of specialized university education.
(4) having obtained an “Internet Newsgathering and Editing Training Certificate” issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China or professional qualifications issued by press, publications, radio, film and television departments.
III: Application procedure
After staff of central news websites applying for journalist credentials have undergone examination and verification by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television will issue one; after staff of local news websites applying for journalist credentials have undergone examination and verification by the local provincial-level Internet information controlling department and the local provincial-level administrative press, publications, radio, film and television department, they will report to the Cyberspace Administration of China for re-examination, and the State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television will issue one.
News websites applying for journalist credentials must fill out written application materials according to regulations (including an “Application Form for an Encrypted Terminal of the Chinese Journalist Web”, a “Journalist Credential Application Registration Form”, a “Form for Personal Information for Obtaining Journalist Credentials”, etc.), and submit electronic materials through the China Journalist Web’s “Online System for Nationwide Journalist Credential Management, Approval and Issuance” (hereafter simply named China Journalist Web, URL: http://press.gapp.gov.cn). An encrypted terminal for the China Journalist Web will be provided by the State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television free of charge.
(1) Central news websites must fill out and prepare written application materials according to relevant requirements, report to the Cyberspace Administration of China for examination and verification, and after stamping the box “opinion of controlling department (work unit)” on the Application Form for an Encrypted Terminal of the Chinese Journalist Web”, and the “Journalist Credential Application Registration Form”, report to the State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Televisions, and obtain an encrypted terminal free of charge. At the same time, they must submit electronic documents through the China Journalist Web, and after the Cyberspace Administration of China examines and approves the matter online, the State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television will issue journalist credentials.
(2) Local news websites must fill out and prepare written application materials according to relevant requirements, report them to the local provincial-level Internet information controlling department for examination and verification, and after stamping the box “opinion of controlling department (work unit)” on the Application Form for an Encrypted Terminal of the Chinese Journalist Web”, and the “Journalist Credential Application Registration Form”, report to the administrative local provincial-level press, publications, radio film and television department for examination and verification, and obtain an encrypted terminal free of charge, at the same time, they must submit electronic documents through the China Journalist Web, and after the provincial-level Internet information controlling department, the provincial-level administrative press, publications, radio, film and television department and the Cyberspace Administration of China successively examine and approve the matter online, the State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television will issue journalist credentials.
IV, Time of application
It will be timely organized that news websites meeting conditions can apply for the approval and issuance of journalist credentials from January 2015 onwards.
V, Related requirements
(1) In order to ensure the smooth processing of the issuance of journalist credentials for news websites, news websites must strictly examine and verify the qualifications of applicants within that work unit, and strictly control the scope of journalist credential issuance, they must truthfully fill our corresponding forms during the process of application, timely complete submission of application documents, and complete journalist credential application work on time, they must also strictly abide by the relevant provisions of the “Journalist Credential Management Rules” in the future; where application materials are not filled out truthfully or false application materials are provided, application qualifications will be cancelled without exception; a special person must be appointed to be responsible for taking care of and using encrypted terminals, internal rule structures must be set up, to ensure the security of data transmissions.
(2) Sponsoring and controlling departments of news websites must earnestly carry out their examination and verification duties, strictly examine and verify application documents submitted by news websites, guide news websites in timely completing journalist credential approval and issuance work, and incessantly strengthen supervision and management over news websites’ journalists.
(3) All levels’ administrative press and publications departments and Internet information controlling departments must further perfect joint work mechanisms, each perform their own role, cooperate and coordinate, strictly approve and issue journalist credentials according to the standards, scope and provisions provided in the “Journalist Credential Management Rules”, strengthen education and training, daily management, and investigation and prosecution of violations of laws and regulations within news websites, and promote the construction of news websites’ newsgathering and editing personnel.
State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television
Cyberspace Administration of China
21 October 2014
关于在新闻网站核发新闻记者证的通知
新广出发〔2014〕122号
各省、自治区、直辖市新闻出版广电局、网信办，新疆生产建设兵团新闻出版局、网信办，解放军总政治部宣传部新闻出版局、网信办，中央和国家机关各部委、各民主党派、各人民团体新闻机构主管单位，中央新闻网站：
为加强新闻网站编辑记者队伍建设，提高队伍整体素质，根据中央有关要求，按照《国务院关于授权国家互联网信息办公室负责互联网信息内容管理工作的通知》《互联网信息服务管理办法》《互联网新闻信息服务管理规定》《新闻记者证管理办法》等相关规定，决定在已取得互联网新闻信息服务许可一类资质并符合条件的新闻网站中按照“周密实施、分期分批、稳妥有序、可管可控”的原则核发新闻记者证。现将有关事项通知如下：
一、申领范围
经国家互联网信息办公室批准的，取得互联网新闻信息服务许可一类资质并符合条件的新闻网站中，专职从事新闻采编业务的在岗人员。
下列人员不发新闻记者证：（1）新闻网站中党务、行政、后勤、广告、发行、经营、技术等非采编岗位工作人员；（2）新闻网站以外的工作人员，包括为新闻网站提供稿件或节目的通讯员、特约撰稿人、特约记者，专职或者兼职为新闻网站提供稿件的党政机关、企事业等单位的工作人员以及其他社会人员；（3）在新闻采编活动中因违法违纪受过严重处罚的人员以及有不良从业记录的人员。
新闻网站采编人员申领新闻记者证不收取任何费用。
二、申领条件
新闻网站中申领新闻记者证的人员须同时具备下列条件：
（一）遵守国家法律、法规和新闻工作者职业道德。
（二）新闻网站编制内或者正式聘用，专职从事新闻采编工作且具有一年以上新闻采编工作经历的人员。
（三）具备大学专科及以上学历。
（四）获得国家互联网信息办公室颁发的《互联网新闻采编培训合格证》或新闻出版广电行政部门颁发的职业资格证。
三、申领程序
中央新闻网站申领新闻记者证的人员经国家互联网信息办公室审核后，由国家新闻出版广电总局核发；地方新闻网站申领新闻记者证的人员经所在地省级互联网信息主管部门和省级新闻出版广电行政部门审核后，报国家互联网信息办公室复审，由国家新闻出版广电总局核发。
申请领取新闻记者证的新闻网站，须按照规定填报书面申请材料（包括《领取中国记者网加密终端申请表》《领取新闻记者证登记表》《领取新闻记者证人员情况表》等），并通过中国记者网“全国新闻记者证管理及核验网络系统”（以下简称中国记者网，网址http://press.gapp.gov.cn）报送电子材料。中国记者网的加密终端由国家新闻出版广电总局免费提供。
（一）中央新闻网站按照有关要求，填写和准备书面申请材料，报国家互联网信息办公室审核并在《领取中国记者网加密终端申请表》《领取新闻记者证登记表》的“主管部门（单位）意见”栏签章后，报国家新闻出版广电总局审核并免费领取加密终端，同时通过中国记者网报送电子材料，经国家互联网信息办公室网上审核同意后，由国家新闻出版广电总局核发新闻记者证。
（二）地方新闻网站按照有关要求，填写和准备书面申请材料，报所在地省级互联网信息主管部门审核并在《领取中国记者网加密终端申请表》《领取新闻记者证登记表》的“主管部门（单位）意见”栏签章后，报所在地省级新闻出版广电行政部门审核并免费领取加密终端，同时通过中国记者网报送电子材料，依次经省级互联网信息主管部门、省级新闻出版广电行政部门、国家互联网信息办公室网上审核同意后，由国家新闻出版广电总局核发。
四、申领时间
从2015年1月起及时组织符合条件的新闻网站申领核发新闻记者证工作。
五、相关要求
（一）为确保在新闻网站核发新闻记者证工作顺利开展，新闻网站须严格审核本单位申领人的资格条件，严格控制记者证发放范围，在申领过程中须如实填写相关表格，及时完整提交申请材料，按时完成新闻记者证的申领工作，并在今后的管理中严格遵守《新闻记者证管理办法》等有关规定；对不如实填写申报材料或者提供虚假申报材料的，一律取消申领资格；要指定专人负责保管和使用加密终端，建章立制，确保数据传输安全。
（二）新闻网站主办及主管部门须认真履行审核职责，严格审核新闻网站提交的申报材料，指导新闻网站按时完成新闻记者证核发工作，并不断加强对新闻网站新闻记者的监督管理工作。
（三）各级新闻出版广电行政部门、互联网信息主管部门要进一步完善工作联动机制，各司其职，协同配合，严格按照《新闻记者证管理办法》规定的标准、范围、程序核发新闻网站新闻记者证，加强新闻网站新闻记者的教育培训、日常管理、违法违规查处等工作，推动新闻网站采编人员队伍建设。
国家新闻出版广电总局
国家互联网信息办公室
2014年10月21日
